A kaleidoscopic view

Have you ever looked at your everyday objects and wondered if you could make them look better? Khyati has, and that’s where ‘Khyatiworks’ comes into the picture. She believes that the nature brings out something mysterious when she paints. With immense patience and concentration, she makes some masterpieces that make your everyday coasters, watches, belts, fridge magnets and more, look like a million bucks.

Khyati is also a full-time software engineer who finds time between her busy schedule to pursue her hobby. She says, “I’m an engineer by profession but I love this second part of my life. I started painting in the year 2009 and I haven’t stopped since. I didn’t want the things around me to look the same, so I started painting on them.” She claims to have been a studious kid growing up, so she doesn’t hail as an arts background student. When asked where she gets the inspiration to create these quirky items, she says laughing, “Believe it or not, it comes to me in a dream. Some image or pattern just splashes in my head and I know that this is what I have to incorporate in my painting.”

A few months ago, she showcased her canvas print paintings at the ‘Art Bengaluru 2015’ exhibition in UB City. As she hand makes all her products and designs, the paintings she makes are canvas printed for others to take home. “I don’t really like to sell my paintings, so I scan the designs and let it be canvas printed. This gives it a real painting feel and few copies are distributed like that,” she explains.

She feels that there’s a divine connection that helps her paint on the canvas. “It takes love, patience and a kind of surrender to the higher power to make an artwork. One must learn to let go because that allows your mind to be free and therefore just believing in something mystical,” she says.

Some of her works include hair accessories like never seen before, hand painted shoes with whimsical art, fridge magnets that are handcrafted and unique, and a plethora of other items. Shoes, wooden modish jewellery, paper napkin weights, drawer knobs, table mats, coasters, glass jewellery and stationery are some of her handpainted products.

“It’s mostly college-goers who are interested in the quirky products like earrings and pendants. A lot of my mom’s friends also like the necklaces I design. But when it comes to products like home decors and bookmarks, I’ve found all age groups buying them,” she says.

Though she works full-time, she tries to find time after, to work on her designs. She claims that some of the paintings take about three weeks to six months to finish. She explains, “It’s not easy to find time because of my busy schedule, but I prioritise my wants and everything else just falls into place. The beauty of the products lies in the fact that each piece is unique, and takes between three to ten days to get made and so each piece is special. It is not possible to replicate a piece especially when it is hand painted.”