KOCHI: From button-sized teacups to multi-coloured table planters and tableware, Lakshmi K V’s ceramic creations have a certain flair to them that interest every onlooker. Made completely with clay, she tries to make each item unique. To make her art understandable to more people, Lakshmi will be conducting a handicraft workshop focusing on the primitive methods in pottery, at ‘Olam’ on February 2 at Tagore theatre. The workshop will be held from 11am to 1pm at the venue and participants will get an opportunity to explore the world of moulding and also get hands-on experience with pottery making. Only 12 seats are available for the workshop.
After completing her graduation course in glass and ceramic design from National Institute of Design (NID), Ahmedabad, Lakshmi was curious to explore different mediums. She worked with a pottery studio in Thrissur for a while before deciding to develop her own brand named ‘Keli Pottery’. “I wanted to create a unique identity for my products. So, I started exploring natural constituents like leaves to make designs. Later, my experiments put me in touch with more mediums,” says Lakshmi.
What started off as a hobby is now her full-time profession. She has transformed her apartment into a working studio, where she works on a potter’s wheel and bakes finished wonders. “I initially started making handmade miniature teacup sets using clay. Gradually I started doing table planters, traditional Kerala utensils, and tableware,” says the artist.
Lakshmi works with terracotta and clay. “Working with clay requires a lot of patience and concentration. Each type of artefact takes a different amount of time to complete. For example, if you are making a miniature teacup, you need to start with a basic model and then work around it. It requires at least three days to dry. Then, it is finally baked to get the end product,” she says.
Lakshmi also undertakes custom orders and has made artefacts for Moznta Technologies in Thiruvananthapuram and Christmas accessories for Luxe Artistic Company in Kochi. She also makes table accessories in stoneware and is currently working on home décor pieces for a house in Palakkad.