Hyderabad :

A few years ago, some schools offered this subject called woodcraft. What it involved was making beautiful carvings out of wood and wood shavings. However, they did tend towards the more mundane and look much like the unpainted carvings sold on the roadside in various shapes of jugs, birds, toys even.

City-based Apoorva Prasanna decided to take the ‘mundane’ out of the craft and turn it into something quirky and distinctive.

Having left her corporate job, Apoorva Prasanna found her calling in woodcraft with a twist with her ‘The Artwala Project’ started in September this year. Bright, colourful and quirky products made from wood is what you will get in her project. With a keen eye for detailing and creating unique products as her motto, Apoorva has slowly been building a steady clientele ever since she started. “I had made a moustache key holder and painted it in a bright shade which was really liked by my friends. While I was initially hesitant to take up making products like this fulltime, I did so later on with my friends encouragement,” says Apoorva.

Beginning with small things like keychain holders, trays in varied shapes like cassettes, mustaches, handbags painted in vivid hues of red, blue and yellows, she soon branched out into photo frames, jewellery holders, cupcake stands, vases, handmade wedding cards, Christmas banners and so on. “Mostly people like to add their inputs when they place the order but I do keep a few readymade products on hand which can be delivered immediately,” adds Apoorva, who works with different types of wood.

Displaying her merchandise at flea markets at cultural spaces in the city has also gotten her a lot of mileage with orders pouring in each week. “Flea markets and my work with an NGO, The Indian Impact, where the proceeds from the sale went to charity did a lot in terms of spreading the word,” opines Apoorva.

Orders are aplenty these days for the 24-year-old, who is kept busy throughout the week, for the wood-cutting she has a hired help who cuts the wood in the design she wants, with the painting being done by her. Depending on the order, it takes her two-three days to complete the product, more if customisation is required.

Price range is between `250 to `1000.

Details: www.facebook.com/theartwalaproject

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Hyderabad / by Express Features / December 04th, 2014