CHENNAI : For CA John, happiness is synonymous with activities like collecting scrap materials, the hours he spends recycling them, and creating something meaningful out of them. Christmas season is, therefore, a special time of the year for him. Since 2006, John has tried to create a unique Christmas crib, even though there were breaks in between due to personal reasons. This year, through his FIFA special crib, John has blended two celebrations.
A creative curation
We are welcomed by a two-foot football, placed on a table adorned with a green mat designed to resemble a football pitch, with the flags of all eight teams in the quarter-final of the World Cup 2022. Inside the football, the stage is set. Statues of Mary, Joseph, and baby Jesus, along with shepherds and kings are placed amidst a bunch of small sticks. The lamps, mud pots, cobwebs and bricks indicate that the place is an old forgotten den.
Enveloping the football is the replica of a goalpost. Pointing to the white net on the goalpost, John says, “It was difficult to find this white net that resembled the one in an original goalpost. I wanted it a certain way and not finding that kind of troubled me. Finally, I got it from a small shop in Parrys.”
The 66-year old self-taught artist demands perfection from his work. He doesn’t rely on any books or YouTube videos to seek inspiration, instead experiments with what is available to him. The discarded syringes have been turned into a lampshade, flowers painted on grape stalks used as a decoration for the house, and a broken glass bottle with colourful glue veins on it reflects his ideology that everything can be reused in some way.
Tracing back passion
John’s love for creating Christmas cribs started during his teenage years when he used to accompany his Uncle KJ Paul in making one. “Those times, we used to lay out the ground. Plant rice, wheat or mustard for making a lawn. Then we will lay the haystack and on those will be the statues. Even though it wasn’t as attractive as the ones we see today, I used to get excited while doing it. I couldn’t completely use my creativity there. I was only assisting my uncle and he was in charge of things.
Now, I can do whatever I want to. The only thing is that our living room will be a mess during the whole season,” shares John. The current crib is an effort of 12 days and is created within a budget of Rs 1,000. Children in the neighbourhood, adults in his church, and strangers who come to know about his creation often visit his home during the holidays. Commenting that the crib and the addition of a Christmas vibe to his whole house is his way of spreading the Christmas message, he adds, “I have created this for everyone to come, see and enjoy. I am always happy to receive guests. Everyone will be treated to homemade cake and wine.”