KOCHI: Art is not the possession of the few. That’s what engineering student Ashfaque Ahammed understood during his second year at the Cochin University School of Engineering in Trikkakara. In fact, Ashfaque was amazed by the artistic talent in his classroom.
“There were many engineering students, who had good design ideas. They just lacked a platform to showcase their skills,” said Ashfaque.
This line of thought enabled Ashfaque to create ‘Papercrow’, a platform which allows people to explore their creative talents. Through ‘Papercrow’, people are encouraged to make handmade cards and gifts and sell it to customers across Kerala. “I just wanted to make sure people are able to translate their passion into art,” he said. “There was no profit motive.”
What sets ‘Papercrow’ apart, is that to set up the platform, Ashfaque used the help of his classmates. “Ajmal Khan, who is a cofounder, had the best handwriting. So, I pushed him to write on the cards,” said Ashfaque.
Amit Sekhar, another co-founder, is the creative designer. He is the one who designs the cards and the gifts. Girls from their classes also help them.Ashfaque says the team had spent sleepless nights in order to meet the deadlines.
“We made the cards and the gifts during our free hours. Also, we worked late into the nights, after college. It was a great bonding experience too,” he added. Student Mathews Kavvukaat is the marketing manager.