The pot of luck

Unique hobbies

Nivedita Chirantan doesn’t remember a time when she was not interested in arts. This innate creative streak coupled with an unbridled enthusiasm for learning new things finds outlet in her many innovative experiments. “My mother was my biggest influence in this regard because even she is an avid learner of new arts and loves to beautify all things,” she says.

It is this lineage of creating beauty that contributed to Nivedita’s passion for pot-painting. The LLM graduate and stay-at-home mother buys pots from potters and decorates them with intricate and colourful designs which range from Kerala mural art, Warli and Madhubani to Gujarati and even Egyptian designs. The results are stunning and have garnered much praise.

The Facebook page for her collection called ‘Nivious’ bears testimony to how much her products are loved by people.  Talking about how this venture was started, Nivedita says, “Once, for the new year, I wanted to gift my friends and family something unique and decided on painted pots. Once I started painting the pots, I got hooked. I just couldn’t stop doing it. I made many pots to give as gifts. That’s when I got the inspiration to start ‘Nivious’, something I am glad I did.”

Not content with merely painting on pots, she has recently started using ‘kundan’ or crystals to accentuate the designs on the pots. These have been placed at points where it gives the design a different look and makes for a rare combination.

Explaining the painting process, Nivedita says, “I use terracotta pots and acrylic colours. These are normal pots, but I prefer getting them straight from the potter instead of buying from the market because that way, I can have more options and can also buy in bulk. And I use normal acrylic colours that one gets in craft stores.”

She has received much positive feedback from people. But asked about her favourite compliment till date and Nivedita says with a smile, “People are generally very sweet and say only nice things. But once a dear one said, ‘Your art speaks’. I was delighted to hear that.”

Like every art, pot-painting has its unique set of challenges, she says. “The biggest challenge is getting the same kind of pots and pots with a neat finish. Most of the times, the pots that I buy won’t be available next time. So when a customer wants a particular shaped pot, procuring it is difficult,” explains Nivedita.

Talking about her future plans, the artist says, “I am getting a lot of attention from many ethnic stores and a couple of them even showcase my art. I want to expand my base from terracotta pots to other eco-friendly products. And maybe, eventually I could make ‘Nivious’ a name of quality in the home decor world.”

(Nivedita can be reached at
8867514033)