Wander-ful art

Pankhuri Singh's travels ensure her brand Awaraa Art's limited edition, handmade diaries and earrings are heavily inspired by nature's bounty

Wander-ful art

Pankhuri Singh's travels ensure her brand Awaraa Art's limited edition, handmade diaries and earrings are heavily inspired by nature's bounty

The lady behind Awaraa Art, Delhi-based designer Pankhuri Singh (27), likes to travel light. She packs a few clothes and her guitar to set off on journeys across India, from Pondicherry to Himachal Pradesh and Meghalaya. Along the way, she fills her goodie bag with interesting raw materials including beads, threads and tree barks. Of course, there are plenty of memories that she also files away as potential inspiration.

A banana paper ant diary decorated with images of ant clusters

After completing a Masters in Environmental Studies from Delhi, she signed up as a wildlife expert with the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) in 2007. But she wasn't happy and decided to explore her creative side by taking a
sabbatical in 2009.

Nomadic, my middle name
Singh started by conducting workshops to help children communicate social and environmental issues through a T-shirt painting movement. She raised funds and even took the movement to young monks living in Ladakh who were thrilled to wear their own creations. Next, she enrolled in a farming course in Auroville, Pondicherry, where she learned the virtue of making things by hand. "I doodle all the time and began designing T-shirts for People Tree in Delhi. I progressed to crafting diaries made from banana leaf paper that are decorated with cloth, beads and etchings. I hope these diaries inspire others to paint and explore their inner child. My earrings are also made from tree barks and have rudraksha, metal casing, thread, dried fruit, palm leaves and paper as embellishments," she says. Pankhuri also paints on fabric, banners and furniture and creates illustrated books for kids and adults.

Her inspiration comes from her experiences and her mood. "Nature and the places I travel to inspire me. At times, I takes up to a month to create a diary. However, I am open to customising products," she adds. Singh's customers swear by the 'near-magical' positive vibes her creations exude. "I create for the joy of establishing an art-to-heart connection," she states.

Flight of fancy
The label is called Awaraa Art based on Singh's love for a nomadic existence. "I get my ideas by sauntering around," she laughs. Case in point being the graphic novel she is working on, which is inspired by her eight-day walking pilgrimage in Meghalaya. It will document nature, wildlife and the joy of walking around. Next on her list is a collection of bold, shamanic jewellery, which emphasises the sense of liberation. "Most of my products focus on the elation of diving into the ocean and flying above mountains, encouraging people to follow their heart's calling."u00a0

Email : pankhuri.ses@gmail.com
Log On To :u00a0www.facebook.com/pages/AWARAA-art-Heartfelt-handmade-gifts-to-the-world/121038431270641 Oru00a0u00a0https://awaraaart.wordpress.com/about/
Cost:u00a0Rs 200 onwards for earrings, Rs 700 onwards for diaries