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For art's sake

Claytopia is a store that gives you a free hand to design your own pottery

PHOTO: MURALI KUMAR K.

GET CREATIVE Customers are free to experiment with colours and designs at this store

How about an opportunity to design your very own china and lend that personal touch to your tableware? Sounds exciting, but is a remote possibility? Well, if you care to step into the newly launched outlet Claytopia, this would no more figure as a distant dream but as a very doable shopping expedition, which leaves you feeling creative and satisfied at the end of it.

The brainchild of Fathima Rizwan and Amina Mohamed Ali, Claytopia offers chinaware in the raw form known as Bisqueware. Here, depending on your requirement, you could pick anything from mugs, bowls, plates, pitchers to floor tiles and even artefacts. Once the product is chosen, you set about the task of choosing the design as well as colour to feature on your piece.

If you are artistic, you could opt for painting your design manually with the colours offered. If you are one of those who can't draw a straight line to save your life, help is close at hand with plenty of ready-made designs that need just to be imprinted with the chosen colours.

Thus you have stamps shaped as flowers, leaves, butterflies and many such while stencils feature more elaborate designs. All you need to do is pick the chosen stamp, paint the colour desired and make an imprint on your product. You could repeat this with other shapes and colours and thus create your own design. If it were a stencil that is chosen, you would have to place this on your piece and paint it on top to get the required design. You could combine some freehand painting too with the stamps and stencils to lend that unique touch.

Says Fathima: "You don't necessarily have to be artistic. Even if you make a mistake, it could still be made into a unique design which would be very original."

Very original

Adds Amina: "the customers are free to experiment with colours and designs. While we give tips and help where required, we try not to design or paint for them as then the concept of designing your own pottery is lost."

According to Fathima, the idea behind launching the outlet was to give a platform for customers to participate and create something very original, which they can carry back and feel proud of. "This concept exists in North America and we found it not only fascinating but also very satisfying. We then decided to introduce it here."

She contends, getting involved in such creative art, even if it is only once in a while when a purchase is made, can be very relaxing and de-stressing. "It is so much better than entering a crowded mall and picking the pieces on display."

The colours, stamps and stencils are all provided in the outlet with attractive tables and chairs placed for uninterrupted designing of your wares. Once the pieces have been designed, they are then glazed and fired at high temperatures. The end product is like a piece picked from a designer store. The china on offer is also Micro oven safe.

Adds Amina, "our products need not necessarily be only for table ware. If designed exotically, they can also feature as wall decorations. For instance, you could paint a few floor tiles and use them as wall decorations or incorporate it on a tea table top. The room for innovation is plenty."

The prices range from Rs. 200 to Rs. 650, depending on what you pick. Claytopia is located off 100 feet road, Indiranagar and can be contacted on 41267163.

NANDHINI SUNDAR

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