To encourage local craftswomen and artisans, Bistro Claytopia is organising a crafts carnival in Koramangala today.
Sowmya D Srinivas is a chip designer. For close to ten years, she ran the corporate rat race, raking in money and chasing challenging corporate roles. A year back, she realised that she needs something more than just a fancy, high-paying job. “I felt that void most people reach when you have enough money – an urge for something that would make me happy. So I turned to arts,” she tells us about how she started making jars, pots, fridge magnets, and candles on weekends, often working on clay she makes at home, cooking cornflour, glue and a few other ingredients together.
Sowmya, who used online tutorials to teach herself the craft techniques, is among 23 women artists taking part in the Claytopia Craft Carnival in Koramangala on Wednesday.
Like her, at the carnival there will be Mubeena Shariff with her handmade chocolates; Arpitha Badrinath with her line of jewellery, upcycled bottles, handmade planters and garden accessories; mosaicist Bhanu Ramaswami with handcrafted snack trays; Widad of Rumaancrafts with her hand crafted metal jewellery; Gitanjali Gupta of The Deshi Art Gallery with her collection of table ware, trays and curios; Mariam Niloufer, a self taught designer with her handcrafted bags; and others.
What connects them all are that they are new in their creative spaces. Kavitha Nambiar, who runs Bistro Claytopia along with Amina Mohamad Ali and Fathima Rizwan, conceptualised this carnival to encourage local women entrepreneurs.
“We wanted to bring these talented women together and showcase their creativity,” Kavitha says.
She remembers how her partners struggled to keep Claytopia going in their initial years as women entrepreneurs in a creative space. In 2006, when they started, theirs was a studio where children and others painted on clay mugs, plates and other bric-à-brac using non-toxic colours, get it glazed in an electric kiln and take it home.
“You’re painting your own product. So it is actually bespoke. Yet selling the idea of creativity was really hard,” Kavitha says. It took them years to find their footing. They added a bistro to the studio and that clicked.
“Kids take at least two to three hours to paint. Some even take six hours. They get thirsty and hungry. So a bistro made sense,” Kavitha recalls.
They learnt it the hard way, and so are keen to ease the way for other women entrepreneurs. “We really struggled. And so we want to let other women grow with us,” she says.
What: Carnival for children with live music, handmade chocolates, candy-floss, jewellery, planters, custommade stationery and much more
Where: Bistro Claytopia, #1, 80 ft road, Koramangala
When: Wednesday, 12 noon to 6pm
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