Santi and Suda ma Devi are two Sikki artisans who are among the 24 participants for SoilBite, Khoj Bihar 2009. Their presence in the campus helped many artists in their work, not only in visual narration but also conceptually. Santi Devi and Suda ma Devi are two of the finest Sikki artisans of Bihar.

Sikki craft is a virtual wonder of Bihari handicrafts. It transforms the simplest and most common things to the most wonderful objects, as if by magic. This wonder is executed by the extremely efficient artistry of the Sikki women. The Sikki grass articles made by women of North Bihar are entirely different from anything else, which you see in any other part of the country. They transport you to another world. As the very name indicates, Sikki is a plant which is commonly found by the riverside or roadside of rural Bihar. Areas with moisture are also conducive to the growth of this plant.

After the rains, it is cut down and divided into thin pieces and preserved in the house for use throughout the year. Though it has its own golden colour, which is very attractive, the village women also dye the grass in red, black, blue and green colours to give the articles made of this – a presentable look.
The manufacture of Sikki articles is very simple. Women of artistic calibre, settling the different parts of this dried grass in the desired shape to do the stitching work with a thick needle known as ‘takua’. The women make small trays for serving fruits and snacks for their guests. They also make large trays known as ‘dagra’. Small baskets are made for their domestic use and organic designs are worked in different colours. They display human figures, animals, birds and there on. Each one is a unique piece, naive yet highly expressive and decorative.

It is difficult to trace the origin of this unique craft, but from a study of social customs and the manner of its manufacture one comes to the conclusion that this must be an ancient craft. The fact that Sikki is closely connected with the marriage ceremonies is perhaps the main reason why so many different patterns and designs have been worked into it. It is essential that the young bride should learn the art of making objects out of Sikki from her childhood, so that at the time of her departure for her new home (sasural), she can carry a collection with her. It was and is a custom that, along with the dowry, these objects would also be displayed and villagers would assess the ability of the young bride, from the imagination she had shown in creating new designs.

If baskets are the basic products of Sikki craft in Bihar, then the innate creativity of the artists force them to take up more challenging products, including festival figures and headgears that protect one from the blazing sun of the Gangetic plains. The artisans have also updated themselves into creating various kinds of utilitarian objects like coasters and tablewares