A banana chips shop. A toddy ‘shaap’ beside the flowing backwaters. A Kathakali performer caught mid-performance. Two Kalari artists locked in combat. Women performing Thiruvathira. A Malabar hornbill couple perched on a branch. Fishermen pushing their boat into the sea. Maveli that comes riding a bike...
At the studio in Kochi, these glimpses of Kerala are being recreated — for keepsakes in your homes, offices and boardrooms across the country.
At the heart of the studio are the husband-and-wife duo Paul K John and Megha Mary Abraham. Founded in Kochi in 2020, the studio brings together Paul’s background in design and Megha’s experience in event management to create handcrafted pieces inspired by Kerala’s people, places and stories.
For Paul, the journey to MemoryTrain was anything but straightforward. After studying business management, he pursued 3D animation. Then, he worked on films at a Disney studio before moving into automotive design in the UK. But he soon realised he wanted to build something of his own.
He started thinking about how design could tell stories rooted in India.
Megha, meanwhile, had built her career in the events industry in Dubai before returning to Kochi. Together, they explored business ideas that combined design, branding and storytelling. Their travels abroad also helped the process.
“Wherever we’ve travelled, we’ve seen really nice souvenirs that you actually feel like buying and taking home. In India, you either had inexpensive tourist memorabilia or traditional handicrafts that many people couldn’t afford. We felt there was a gap,” says Paul.
Conceived as a souvenir brand, MemoryTrain had to rethink its plans when the pandemic brought tourism to a standstill. They decided to move away from just ‘souvenirs’ — products that, according to them, could be easily copied and instead focus on sculptural pieces that demanded design, craftsmanship and quality.
“We decided not to make anything that could simply be printed and copied. This meant that whatever we designed would be harder to build, but we wanted to create something with world-class quality,” Paul says.
One of MemoryTrain’s earliest commissions came from a place that holds a special meaning for Paul.
“It was a miniature of the iconic clock tower at The Lawrence School, Lovedale, where I studied. Created as a gift for an alumni gathering,” he says, adding that this was the studio’s first major order.
From there, the collection steadily grew. One of their earliest creations was the Kerala chess set. After years of redesign and refinement, it now features a Malayali side with a ‘Tampuran’ and ‘Thampurati’ and the British royalty on the other.
The studio later introduced sculptures inspired by Kerala’s landscapes, including the Lake of Lilies collection, and expanded into pieces celebrating everyday life, such as The Fisherman’s Saga.
Another work pays tribute to Kochi’s famous tea-shop couple, K R Vijayan and Mohana, whose travels across the world inspired many.
Paul explains that every product begins as an idea. “The idea then takes shape through digital sculpting and 3D modelling, moves through multiple rounds of prototyping and mould-making, and is finally finished by hand. Most of the products are made using resin. Even a relatively small piece can take weeks to develop,” he says.
Today, MemoryTrain continues to create customised projects for corporate clients. They create trophies, installations and collectables inspired by a company’s story. Memories for them are an important aspect of their process.
Hence, the name explains the couple. “Life is like a journey. Along the way, we collect memories and move on. That’s what the train represents,” Paul says, shedding light on the thought behind the company’s name.
As Onam approaches, some of the studio’s most interesting creations take centre stage. Sculptures of Maveli and Vamana, Panchavadyam ensembles, Pulikali performers and Chenda melam are ready.
For Paul and Megha, these are not seasonal decorations. They are pieces of Kerala that people carry with them anywhere they go. The plan now is to expand their work to other states, and maybe become a place where one will find glimpses of all of India.