THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Quilling is a passion for many and Jiji S Deepak is one such enthusiast. Despite having a busy schedule, this dentist finds time to quill. Now, Jiji is all set to take her passion to the
next level by attempting to enter the Limca Book of World Records by creating the largest paper quilling. She will attempt the feat on Sunday and Monday in Thrissur.
It all began four years back. She says: “I started quilling as a hobby after I noticed that quilled paper ornaments were getting popular. I decided to learn the art and start experimenting.”
Her first works, just like everybody else, were ornaments, precisely, a pair of earrings. But, Jiji wasn’t content with that and wanted to be more creative. “I realised that quilling offered many possibilities,” says Jiji.
Her passion made her better in the art over the years. But, she likes to call it a stress buster. “It keeps me calm. That’s why I find time to pursue my passion,” she adds. For her Limca Book of Records attempt, Jiji chose Sunday as it is the World Earth Day. “I wanted to create an awareness on the cause of environment protection too,” she adds. Jiji admires the work of Yulia Brodskaya, a Russian paper artist, and her favourite piece of her own work is “The Phoenix Bird”. While quilling is her favourite hobby, she also pursues other hobbies such as glass painting, in which she is self-trained.
To make her works more attractive, she uses acrylic paints, beads, shells and glitter, though conventionally only quilling strips are used. But, she has a different point of view.
“When my works were exhibited, I had an equal share of people who appreciated and criticised the use of beads and glitters. There are people who stick to paper only, but one should keep exploring and experimenting. Each has a different perception of an art form,” says Jiji.
Her 101 works of paper quilling were showcased at the exhibition in Thrissur in June 2016. She has also held Kerala’s first exhibition of paper quilling in wall art. An India Book of Record holder, Jiji is one of 100 record holders from India.