States » SouthPosted at: Oct 15 2026 7:50PM


Kerala Arts and Crafts Village artists win two national handicraft awards

Thiruvananthapuram, Oct 15 (UNI) Two artists associated with the Kerala Arts and Crafts Village have won prestigious national handicraft awards for 2025, bringing recognition to the state's traditional craftsmanship.
A. Prathap, a native of Thiruvananthapuram, has won the Shilp Guru Award for coconut husk carving, while Asha G. Krishna has bagged the National Award in paper quilling. Asha has also become the first woman from Kerala to receive the national honour in this category.
The awards are presented by the Office of the Development Commissioner (Handicrafts) under the union Ministry of Textiles.
Asha received the award for a Kathakali artwork created using the paper quilling technique. Measuring around eight-and-a-half feet in height and six feet in width, the elaborate work took her two-and-a-half years to complete.
The artwork showcases Kerala's iconic traditional art form through intricately rolled and arranged strips of paper, highlighting the creative possibilities of paper quilling in depicting the state's cultural heritage.
Prathap won the Shilp Guru Award for a dragon sculpture made from coconut husk. Measuring five feet in length and three feet in height, the sculpture took two-and-a-half months to complete.
A recipient of National Awards in 1994 and 2012, Prathap said he was eagerly awaiting the opportunity to receive the latest award from the President of India.
The Shilp Guru Award carries a cash prize of Rs 3 lakh and 20 grams of gold, while the National Award comes with Rs 2 lakh and a citation.
T. U. Sriprasad, Chief Operating Officer of Kerala Arts and Crafts Village, said the achievements would strengthen efforts to preserve the state's traditional handicrafts and promote their relevance among younger generations by combining traditional skills with contemporary artistic ideas.
UNI DS
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