TEHRAN–Iranian artisan Mohammad-Ali Vadood, whose area of expertise is woodwork, has won the award for the Craftsperson of the Year at the 6th edition of India’s International Handicrafts Awards (ICA).

The award ceremony will be held in New Delhi last week on the occasion of India Craft Week, the organizers, announced on the event’s official website.

Ramtiniwaiti binti Ramlee from Malaysia was named the Female Craftsperson of the Year, while Ambika Devi and Venkat Raman Shyam, both from India, received the awards for Master Artisan of the Year (Female) and Master Artisan of the Year (Male), respectively. 

The International Handicrafts Awards has been operating since 2017 to honor handicrafts, artisans, designers, individuals, institutions, councils, handicraft villages, and related organizations due to their outstanding participation in the handicrafts sector.

ICA sets a new standard in the world with the highest level of design skills and excellence. The event provides an open platform for builders working in a variety of materials and media to have their work evaluated by a panel of professional judges and international craft experts.

These awards promote and encourage talent with the highest standards and make international handicraft awards an annual global feature. Over the past five years, more than a thousand artists from more than 40 countries have been nominated for International Crafts Awards.

With 14 entries, Iran ranks first globally for the number of cities and villages registered by the World Crafts Council, as China with seven entries, Chile with four, and India with three ones come next.

Dozens of Iranian handicrafts have gained the UNESCO Seal of Excellence during the past couple of years and some 295 fields of handicrafts are currently practiced across Iran with more than two million people engaging, the majority of whom are women.

ABU/AM