Contact/Background Information :
Name : Kamal Karmakar
Address: Bikna,Gushkara, Birbhum, West Bengal. INDIA.
Age: 35Years.
Marital Status: Married.
Children: 2

Art Experience :

Kamal is an artist from Birbhum district. He works on the traditional artform of Dhokra,
in the style characteristic to the neighboring districts of Burdwan,
Bankura, Purulia and Midnapur. Dokra is an ancient metal artform, done through Lost Wax Technique.
While his forfathers were traditional brass and bronze utensil makers, Kamal is the first from his family to create more artistic and Utility based Dokra Items . As I talked to him,
he expressed his long desire of doing something different from what
other members of his family do for a living, while still sticking on to
the metal art.

He was displaying his crafts in a fair, and is optimistic about the growing future of this famous artform now being a part of rangamaati family.He mentions with the passage of time, the dokra artisans are modifying their products into more utility products. Decorative locks, hangers, conch shells and pen stands which are much in demand as they satisfy a utility along with its artistic element.

All the members of the family are involved in making the craft.
Kamal’s Wife also helped him in making exclusive pieces of art. She is quite young, but the articles that she makesalong Kamal are
simply beautiful.

Even after facing all the constraints, the Kamal continues this livelihood . Although many of Artisans from his Village have now turned to other means of livelihood, Dokra remains his First love. His love for the craft and persistence to continue with this age old craft makes them special. He like other Dokra Artisans are the upholders of a dying legacy as well as the cultural heritage of West Bengal.