KOCHI: Ask any artist what pains them the most and pat comes the reply - ‘Expensive art supplies’. Surely student art supplies are available aplenty, but the quality is primary. This was Mahamutha Affshana’s primary aim when she started ‘Artstop’, an art brand comprising affordable art supplies and resin art workshops.
“The materials are imported but I ensure that the prices are reasonable,” she says. All of 23, Chennai-based Affshana’s ‘Artstop’ is just a year old. Affshana’s entry to the distinct art form was, however, no cake walk. “I left dentistry to pursue art. It has always been a calling. I chose interior design and branched out into resin art with a label. This is my full-time work now,” she quips. Affshana will be conducting a resin art master class workshop on Saturday and Sunday at French Toast, Kacheripady, from 10:30 am to 4 pm.
Resin art is slowly, but steadily gaining popularity across India, with social media playing a tremendous role. “The hyper-gloss on resin surfaces is extremely satisfying to watch and feel. It has a polished, mirror-like effect. But the materials aren’t widely available in art stores. Yet, I chose to experiment and figure the nuances of the medium,”. The artists’ Instagram handle now boasts of 10.7K followers, who are treated to an Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response, popularly called ASMR, which gives a brain-tingling sensation as a result of certain sights and sounds.
Through her workshop, Affshana intends to transfer this very experience. The master class will comprise techniques of resin pour, agate, and geodes, and teach the attendees to work with epoxy resin. Registration costs I6,999, inclusive of materials.