Artisan Spotlight: Indika and the Jai Vakeel Foundation
[Founder’s Note: Happy Summer everyone! It’s been a minute since we sent out a newsletter + artisan spotlight…summer arrived in a hurry (or at least the end of the school year) and we were off to summer camps, travel, and birthdays, along with all of the “normal” day-to-day shuffle of work, life, and play.
As a woman-owned, small business deeply committed to creating a space where all feel welcome, June also served as an invitation to listen, observe, and learn from the communities I intend to lift up and support. And while I struggled with “keeping quiet”, I felt like I needed to soak up what the LGBTQIA+ community was sharing. We had the incredible opportunity to attend a family wedding in Bozeman, Montana for two magnetic and loving young women whose passion and commitment to open-hearted living has left a mark on all who know them. It was an emotional union as we all paid witness to the strength and endurance of their love. Of what it meant for each of us to be standing there alongside them in support of their union. Love was all around. And, I felt eternally grateful to be able to share this with my own daughters. So that they can know deep in their bones that love is love. I felt overwhelmed with the sense that true love, truth in love, and open-heartedness is ever expansive. Anything else is simply less than love.
I share this reflection with you all because I want there to be clarity around who and what we stand for at Modern Folklore. I can’t help but bring my authentic self to this space and with that, a deep commitment to supporting communities and individuals who have been traditionally marginalized and kept from society’s table. And I suppose I feel this even more deeply following the U.S. Supreme Court conservative majority’s decision to side with another Colorado-based, woman-owned company in her ability to not serve people of a particular community, specifically targeting the LGBTQIA+ community. The implications of this will no doubt reach further.
All that to say, LOVE is LOVE. I invite each of us to continue to seek out what expands our notion of life and love, what opens our hearts to the lived experience of others, and what allows us to all finally see that we truly do belong to each other. - Abrazos, Corrie.]
For this artisan spotlight, we wanted to highlight Indika, a company that works with artisans in India to bring beautifully handcrafted products to your home, and the Jai Vakeel Foundation, one of their partner foundations.
Founded in 2011 by Farinaz and her husband, Travis, Indika focuses on supporting ancient techniques for creating traditional Indian goods. After witnessing the mechanization of production in India and the loss of the culture and heart behind the products crafted, they started their business to support traditional Indian products and the generational craftsmanship of such goods. With intention and tradition in mind, they offer beautiful artisan-made goods crafted and hand-selected by their artisan partners.
Our personal favorite is the story and craft behind their desert bells. Made using techniques passed through generations, these bells have traditionally been used for cattle. Each bell begins as recycled steel, beaten and shaped into a cylinder, and dipped into a copper solution. The bells are then wrapped in a clay dough and fired using hot desert sand, a process through which the steel and copper anneal to form bronze. Each bell is then hand tuned to create a unique tone. It is said that a goat-herder could tell which animal was missing by the sound of each individual bell.
Indika also partners with organizations around India that support traditional crafts. One such organization is the Jai Vakeel Foundation, the oldest and largest non-profit in India supporting children and young adults with intellectual and developmental needs. Making sure every child is supported and included in society, they provide healthcare, education, skill development, and support services.
At Modern Folklore, we carry the Jai Vakeel Foundation’s hand-loomed all-purpose dusters. Woven by students with intellectual disabilities, this process helps them cultivate higher self-esteem and a sense of purpose. Multi-purpose and beautifully woven, these towels can be used for both cleaning and as hand towels.
The story behind the hands that make is always worth celebrating. Partnering with artisan brands like Indika is just another example of our collective purchasing power and the ripple effects our choices can have throughout the world.
Stories matter. It is, and always has been, the tie that binds. When we hold space for others’ stories, we open our hearts and minds to another’s lived experience and we collectively expand. We are truly only limited by our willingness to listen. So…lean in.
compiled by: ava lypps, shop guide
edited by: corrie williams, owner + founder
