Clay Wonders
Artist Jimmy creates trendy home décor items using clay, an exhibition of which is going on at Studio Pepper Fry, Kochi.
An artist is likely to use different mediums on canvas to create paintings. Moreover, his/her dream might be conducting exhibitions of the paintings he/she has made, which will in turn give them popularity. However, Jimmy is a painter with a different vision. He uses his inclination towards art to create pottery that can adorn the interiors of houses of those who love to decorate their homes with clay items.
What makes these clay décor items different from others is the perfection and labour that Jimmy puts into making them. “Each piece is made in such a way that they seamlessly merge with the modern day interiors. There is a general perception that décor items made of clay are suitable only for houses with ethnic interiors. My motive is to let people know that pottery can be trendy as well,” says Jimmy, who is conducting an exhibition of clay décor items made by him at Studio Pepper Fry, Panampilly Nagar.
He is organising this exhibition after a gap of four years, the reason for which, according to him, is the time required to make the objects. “One batch of the products requires 20 days to get ready. Moreover, each item that I make is different in terms of shape, colour, size and pattern. This delays the process. For certain items that have a complicated structure, I first create a 3D imagery of the design using graphics and check if the structure and the pattern that I am planning to provide on that particular size and shape will blend with each other. Through trial and error method, I finally zero in on the final look and then mould it in clay,” says Jimmy, who adds that his career in advertising is also one of the reasons why the exhibition was delayed.
However, the artist stresses that painting and doing pottery is his passion and that he prefers to do it peacefully and carefully for which any delay is worth it. Ask him about the new trends that attract buyers, he says, “There are more takers for geometrical patterns and other contemporary designs. There is a niche clientele for traditional designs as well.”
The artist also creates decorative items like lamp shades, teapoy, head rests for beds and other décor items with clay. He says that one need not be skeptical about the durability of clay and that he receives numerous inquiries for clay teapoy and other furnishing items. “Traditional as well as contemporary designs are always in trend for flower vases,” he adds. The contemporary designs are opted for its 3D look.
The exhibition will go on till Tuesday.