South Indian Mahboob Bidri Crafts and Varnam Craft Collective, facilitated and nurtured by Creative Dignity, designed the above awards for the Catalysing 2030 Ceremony 2022.

Lead designer Karthik Vaidyanathan was inspired by a traditional Bidri motif on an 18th century artefact. The motif, when placed in a recurring design, resembles a chain of human hands. The motif on the trophy signifies that achieving the SDGs by 2030 will only be possible when governments, social entrepreneurs, funders and non-profit organisations unite to work towards attaining this common goal.

Mahboob Bidri crafts is an artisanal enterprise set up Late Gulaam Mahboob Siddiqui and currently run by Taher Siddiqui, a 3rd generation Bidri artisan who is not only taking the legacy of his forefathers forward but also experimenting with the craft to bring fresh perspective to this 17th century demoscene technique. In his few years as a Bidri artisan, Taher has collaborated with many designers and design studios to reorient the traditional ornate craft to suit the contemporary discerning consumers.

Varnam Craft Collective is a multi-award winning social enterprise that has been working with artisans in Channapatna for over 8 years. The result is a series of designs interpreting this 200-year-old toy-making craft in the home and lifestyle space. In an industry where more than 90% of the artisans are men, many of Varnam’s creations have been deftly hand-crafted by women artisans. Varnam has been providing sustainable livelihoods on a consistent basis to artisan groups. Proceeds from sales of varnam are also invested in training women artisans who wish to learn this craft.