KOCHI: Be it calligraphy, creating scrapbooks or crafting wedding invites, Thamanna Mehtab and her artistry is for those who are not satisfied with the mass-produced gifts, but instead need a personal, unique touch to daily life items.It all started when Thamanna was on a break year after Class XII. For someone who was never into crafts, she stumbled on crafts and calligraphy quite unexpectedly, took an interest in it and started experimenting.
Later, while in college, she created a scrapbook to gift to her friend, which caught the attention of her peers who started asking her to do commissioned works. “When I started, I barely knew anything about art and craft. But then, I realised that I was my happiest self when consumed by them. That was the turning point of my artistic life,” says Thamanna.
Back in 2016, when people were only beginning to hear about such items, the supplies were hard to find too, she says. “Over time I became confident and skilled enough to pull it off,” says Thamanna. At Letter Hub, her entrepreneurial venture, Thamanna creates calligraphy work, wedding invites, decors, wall frames, personalised hampers and more.
The art of hand lettering is a large part of her craftwork. An Arabic calligraphy artist, she does lettering in Arabic, and their construction resonates with people regardless of their familiarity with the language. She has completed more than 500 orders so far.
“When people ask me to make something, they are trusting me with poignant moments in life. That’s a special joy,” says the 23-year-old. Handmade paper, ivory sheets, colour paper, canvas, and other paper varieties are used to make the crafts, which are displayed on her Instagram page with over 20,000 followers.
A night owl, Thamanna starts working around 11 pm and finishes around 4am. “When I begin working, I never have the full idea about how the product will turn out. It just manifests on the go. Taking a break is also very important. I never push myself when I experience a creative block,” says Thamanna, who is currently a student of interior design. She hopes to soon hold an exhibition of her Arabic calligraphy works. @letterhub__ on Instagram