She’s an IT professional by day and moonlights as a crafter. Commerce graduate, Aruna Padmanabhan, set up World o’ Ceramica 12 years ago, when she first discovered her love for the arts. A self-taught creator, who has been experimenting with various mediums since 2002, she opened a store for two years in 2009 to showcase her work.
“I moved from pottery to murals and now my fascination lies in creating realistic looking food miniatures. The Internet, my friends, and other artists have helped me discover my own style. Initially we started out by setting up stalls and earning some pocket money. But as life would have it, I found my own path, and that has brought me incredible peace and happiness,” she narrates. Currently, Aruna designs and creates these miniature articles for sale and conducts workshops at her home studio in Shanthinagar.
From magnets resembling crisp dosas with sambar and chutney and a plate of toast and fried egg, to minions-inspired key chains and dessert-inspired jewellery, among a range of other items, Aruna designs realistic and exquisite miniature products that make for great gifts.
Having pursued her craft for over a decade now, Aruna says, “My only competition is myself and I work to gain continuous appreciation from whoever views my work. For this very reason I am not afraid to experiment and learn new skills. It enables me to keep coming up with creative ideas.”
Pursuing parallel professions isn’t the easiest thing but Aruna seems to have struck the perfect balance. “Juggling my full-time job and my passion used to be difficult, as my mind would always focus on what I was not able to do. What worked for me was a slight shift in perspective.
Once I realised that it is my job that helps me pursue my craft by being a constant source of income, and that my passion enables me to relieve the stresses of my job, I found the two actually perfectly complement each other. As far as on-the-job challenges go, I really believe that there is nothing stopping me but my own thoughts and that is very much in my control,” she explains.
Aruna conducts monthly workshops and also takes one-on-one sessions over the weekend for those who prefer a customised course. Her focus, at present, is on workshops for miniature replica/fake food, which can be used as fridge magnets, key chains, or jewellery charms. The cost of the workshops range from Rs. 2,700 to 4,500. The artist-entrepreneur retails her products online (http://worldoceramica.wikidot.com) which can be shipped across India. International customers can place orders on her Etsy store.
Constantly in search of new ideas and techniques that can be creatively used to blend with her style of work, Aruna’s interests include decoupage and upcycling too.
This column features those who choose to veer off the beaten track
