Imphal based State awardee Salam Palender Singh is a proprietor of CHAREIPHI HANDLOOM AND HANDICRAFTS EMPORIUM KEISHAMPAT. He is very keen to enrich the indigenous game and culture of Manipur and to become an arena of knowledge to the youth in terms of craft. Salam has been making the traditional colorfull dolls of Manipur. His forte is to give perfect shape using clay, bamboo, rice straw and grasses and to paint upon them until they looks real.
Salam changed the traditional doll-making style by replacing the rags with dried grass that are formed into shape with thin wires which are then glued with cloth. This is held tight by smearing with a paste of locally sourced clay and a fine powder made of grass. They are then dried in the sun. Later, the dried dolls are smoothened to get a uniform surface. He then paint them using acrylic paints. A single colour is used to paint the body and red and black, among other colours, are used to paint the facial expressions. The technique is almost similar to the one used in making the idol of Maa Durga during the Durga Puja festival. The last step is dressing the doll.
Interestingly Salam also paint traditional motifs over sarees and other handloom apparels.
