Close Window

Lokesh

"Pottery is one of my hometown's legacies. People make captivating pieces but I had never really appreciated the work until one day when I saw myself shaping a ceramic piece.

"About eight years ago, my mother, Sowbhagya, was taken by the charm of pottery when she spied a piece at a friend's house. She decided to learn the art of ceramics and registered for a course. With time she gained expertise and her talent flourished. She had her own workshop just behind our home. At first I didn't take any interest in what she was doing, and I completed a diploma in mechanical engineering. One fine day, my mother received a large order and she had only two people helping her. I had no choice but to help her. We all worked day in and day out, and I loved every bit of it! And so I decided to join my mother in the art of creating exquisite ceramics.

"Among the many challenges we've had to face is finding high quality clay. Often, the only way to tell is after the firing process, since low quality ceramic tends to crack. We had to learn how to identify the quality of the clay before setting to work. A lot of hard work goes into every piece we make. It takes about 15 days to produce the fine clay. This involves flittering and sedimentation. After hand-crafting the products and drying them under natural sunlight, the pieces are baked to about 800° to 900° C.

"My mother and I both design and paint each product personally. We have now specialized in statuettes, masks, jewelry and more. We have exhibited our products in a number of urban centers.

"I heard about Novica from a friend. I was excited about Novica's concept as it offers the right platform for artisans. I am sure this is going to help our dream come true, of seeing our products being appreciated by people worldwide."