Maiwa Handprints, Charllotte Kwon, Founder
by CATHERINE TSE, photo by Jaime Kowal
Charllotte Kwon’s passion for textile craft making is rivalled only by her unwavering dedication to preserving its cultural roots in India. “Artisans are struggling everywhere, but India has such a heritage it’s painful to see it disappearing,” she laments.
As artist, philanthropist, and owner of Maiwa Handprints on Granville Island, Kwon spends an average of seven months each year in India, supporting projects in eight different regions throughout the subcontinent. Her latest trip included attending the 10-day UNESCO Natural Dye Symposium in Hyderabad, where she had the honour of opening the conference with the documentary short, In search of Lost Colour, produced by Maiwa Productions.
“I’m shocked . . . stunned that we’re letting so much go so silently,” says Kwon. “It’s extinc-tion of the evolution of crafts. Not long ago, everything was handcrafted and artisans made everything better.”
Kwon aims to slow down, if not halt, this extinction of traditional crafts by supporting existing skilled artisans who are otherwise not finding a market for their exquisite—and disappearing—work.
Crafts intrinsically bring people together; they’re the most socialized of the art forms. Half a world away, when Vancouverites hear about a disaster occurring in India, whether an earthquake, tsunami, or bombing, many congregate at Maiwa to offer assistance.
“This would never happen at the Gap,” Kwon exclaims. Patrons feel a part of the Maiwa community and care about the artisans at the other end, she says. “That’s all we can expect—to be trusted by our community and by the people we trade with.”
—Catherine Tse
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