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Floral harvest
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Krishan Kumar Paruthi transforms dry flowers into works of art
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PHOTO: V. SUDERSHAN
FLOWER POWER Krishan Kumar Paruthi
Seventy-year-old Krishan Kumar Paruthi fell in love with flowers 17 years ago. More so, as a catharsis to his business and personal losses. He started making scented floating candles and pasting real, dried flowers on them, an art that he learnt from
the pioneer of the technique, S.P. Mehra. Now, Paruthi not only exports a part of his output, but has also extended the canvas of creativity. Now he frames these flowers on glass and turns them into works of art.
For the first time, he has mounted an exhibition of such works in Market Café, Khan Market. The venue because of dim light, though, is not the perfect place for such an exhibition but is best for those who can’t afford gallery space. Says Suman Chatterjee of Market Café, “We take 10 per cent from the sales of the works if there are any. If they don’t sell, we don’t charge at all. We give space to only those who can’t afford an expensive art gallery.”
Varied sources
Paruthi describes his process. “I collect flowers and foliage from Dehra Dun, Nagpur, Naini Tal, Missouri, Jaipur, Bangalore and Delhi. I dry them naturally and then pick and choose them according to their colours with foliage. I paste them on a glass sheet, paint the other side of the glass with acrylic to give the flowers a clean look. I treat the flowers with tobacco, which keeps worms at bay. And it is scientifically and legally allowed too. My works are hence moisture and fungus-proof and environment-friendly. They are extremely durable. The best way to protect them is to keep them away from sunlight.”
Paruthi has also experimented with figures and birds with dry flowers this time. He also makes bookmarks, greeting cards, visiting cards, table mats and table tops, coasters etc., envelopes out of them.
For a few years, he has also been training people in this art, especially through his Jaipur-based NGO Institute of Flowers that enables needy people to earn some money. At his Delhi residence in Rohini he also trains a group of people. “I take Rs.6, 000 to 10,000 for 50 hours. I give them basic training and the rest depends upon practice. I have an infrastructure for training. But I would like to extend it,” he says.
RANA SIDDQUI
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