KOCHI: Who doesn’t love customised gifts? While we all know it is the thought that counts, ideas - such as T-shirts with your name, mugs with your face and so on - are as endless as Pinterest feeds. Paurnami Chitran, a Dubai-based calligraphy artist and illustrator, has been making occasions special and personal with her customised gifts.
The self-taught artist believes handmade gifts are the best ones to give and receive. “Children are always creative. They become inhibited when they grow up. All it takes is a small push to get back into the process of creating. Because I believe everyone is creative in their own unique way, I want to teach people to get back into the art world,” she says.
Paurnami has been a calligraphy artist for over a year now. For this, she uses the writing brush, which is common in Japanese calligraphy. Her canvas ranges from handbags and shoes to denim jackets and mugs.
The artist, initially, started painting with acrylics and watercolours; it was only later that she wandered into the world of calligraphy. “Hand lettering is difficult, takes a lot of time and needs a lot of patience,” she says. Apart from calligraphy, she also loves writing poems, making greeting cards for loved ones and travelling.
In a recent exhibition held in the city, Paurnami displayed her unique range of products including garden ornaments for succulents and terrariums. “These are pieces of a log which I first give a whitewash, and then draw pictures and write quotes. After inserting a hook or a skewer, these ornaments can be hung in your garden or dug into the soil as a decor,” she says.
Having quit her job as an engineer to pursue her passion for art, Paurnami started her venture ‘ArtwithPam’ six years ago. Bringing her love for handmade gifts to the limelight, the venture focused on teaching art and sharing artworks on social media platforms. She will soon start her newest venture ‘Moms can Paint’ in the Thiruvananthapuram.