A box of tricks

Unique hobbies

Mayura Vaze was introduced to the world of arts through summer hobby classes. “My mother would send me to one class during every summer vacation. We were 2-3 friends and would learn something new every year. I used to make things from varied materials like shells, satin flowers, ceramic powder, glass and so on.”

Those classes defined her future path and Mayura soon became a textile designer. Marriage and children followed and it was only recently that the artiste returned to her field.

“I learned decoupage in 2014. We had a new house at that time and I wanted to decorate it with things I had made; with my creations. That’s how I developed an interest in craft.”

For someone who recently took to decoupage, Mayura has an extensive inventory. Jewellery boxes, kitchen organisers, fridge magnets, customised wall clocks, wall hangings, upcycled old drawers, name plates, bottles — all form part of her repertoire. Her fridge magnets are multi-purpose utilities with clips where people can hang notepads and more.

Asked about her favourite creation, Mayura laughs, “That’s a difficult question. I recently altered some tin boxes and gave them a Christmassy makeover. I really liked the end product. But then ideas change and products evolve as time passes. What remains constant is my preference for bright colours.”

Challenges remain of course. “Balancing this interest with family time is something I need to manage. If I am making something for someone or taking part in an exhibition, then I will have to create these many items within a specific period. But I also need to spend time with my children. I work when they are in school. My husband is supportive so this is not really a difficulty.”

She is a regular at exhibitions and also takes workshops. “I am not competing with anyone; I just want to upgrade myself. The quality of the products I make now compared to what I used to create two years back has improved so I guess I am no the right track.”

She specifically credits two people for this. “One is my friend Saarus Nihrali, who added me to the ‘Bangalore Craft Lovers’ group. The other person is Divya Thallat, who taught me the art of decoupage. She shares tips like how important it is to not gift your creations to all and sundry if you are planning to take this forward commercially.”

The reactions Mayura gets at the exhibitions she takes part in are all the encouragement she needs to stick to her choice. “I have had people coming up to me at every single event to tell me how much they liked my creations and how colourful and vibrant these were. A couple of friends have displayed my artefacts in their living rooms and whenever I visit their house, they point these out to me. Such small acts mean a lot to every artiste.”

Asked about her future plans, Mayura  remains as candid as ever. “Even I don’t know my future plans. I am just going with the flow now.”

(Mayura can be contacted through her Facebook page ‘Morpankhi Bangalore’)