KOCHI: The embroidery art is probably as old as time. The slow yet steady craft demands an intense amount of attention and patience. This is probably why many people turned to it during the lockdown, needling away and creating works of art on key chains, pendants and on carefully crafted knots. This is how 23-year-old Anu Rose Jaison, who started small, also found her artistic self as an established hoop artist, etching delicate floral designs on key chains and even on lesser-popular mediums such as leaves.
For her parents’ wedding anniversary that fell during the lockdown, Anu wanted to gift them something special. Unfortunately, all the shops were closed and she couldn’t buy a gift. “So I thought of making something for them. I used to do embroidery earlier. So, I started working on hoop embroidery with a portrait of my parents,” says Anu.
From there, she began her experiments. Everything became her canvas, even leaves. By far, embroidery on leaves has been the toughest for her and takes twice as much time as any other surface. “Leaves are fragile and each stitch has to be made with an intense amount of care so as to not break them. And you can’t just pick any leaf. I do it on lily and jackfruit leaves and only the green ones,” says Anu, a native of Chalakkudy in Thrissur.
Growing up, Anu always wanted to be a designer and start her own designer boutique but she ended up majoring in Chemistry. But the lockdown helped her get back her creative self. “I am happy that I can finally pursue my passion for designing. Be it portraits or pendants, embroidery art requires a lot of detailing and designing. I hope to do more of it, then move to clothes and dresses,” says Anu.
Her calendar and 3D wedding hoops are always in demand. For the 3D wedding hoops, embroidery is done and even the hair and gown of the bride is recreated. Anu says that what makes her work special is its originality. “You get an original. When you buy a store-bought gift, it is mass-produced. But this is special and customised for a person,” she says. According to her, gifting, something handmade is pure joy. “For me, being able to create something that makes a person happy is the most rewarding experience. In a way, I’m being part of their happiness and that brings me joy. Moreover, getting into embroidery art changed me. I am very patient nowadays,” she chuckles.