Pooja Ajmera is on a mission to revive an age-old Indian art form.
She hand cuts designs from a single sheet of paper using a knife, wherein each design speaks of a different story. Meet Pooja Ajmera, who is on a mission to revive an age-old Indian art form. The talented artist initiated Teekhii Chhurii in 2012, which is a result of all the hardwork she put in for more than a year. In a candid conversation with iDiva.com at the Mumbai Comic Con 2013, Pooja Ajmera talks about her passion that is Teekhii Chhurii.
What exactly is Sanjhi?
Sanjhi is a traditional Indian art form of hand-cut designs on a single sheet of paper using a sharp knife or a pair of scissors. It is a tradition followed in Mathura in Uttar Pradesh. Initially, themes of Sanjhi were taken from Lord Krishna’s stories and a stencil was created out of it which was then used to make rangolis during the festive season.
What inspired you to pick this art form?
I’ve always been interested in art and craft. I would make tutorials on various things and post them on my blog. One day I thought of doing something different for a gift to give my friend. I knew about Sanjhi and that was the first time I carved out a design from my bedspread. It took a lot of effort and patience, but I loved how it turned out. I made some more designs for a few friends and the response I got was crazy. That was when I decided to work on reviving Sanjhi, but by adding my own touch to it.
What does Teekhii Chhurii mean?
Teekhii Chhurii actually means a sharp knife. I use a very sharp knife to carve out my designs from a single sheet of paper. Since my target audience are Indians, after a lot of brainstorming I settled with the name, Teekhii Chhurii.
When did you start working on Teekhii Chhurii?
I made my first design in March 2012. But I wanted to master it before I launched Teekhii Chhurii, and therefore I kept practising a lot. I spent a lot of time on deciding how I want my product to look. The kind of paper to use, which frame to go with it, how to wrap it up are a few things. Since it’s a very delicate art form, packing it right is extremely important. I had to put in a lot of thought and effort before launching Teekhii Chhurii.
What do you wish to achieve with Teekhii Chhurii?
I want paper cutting to reach a level where I don’t need to explain it to people. I want people to recognise this art form because there are very few people across India who practice this art form. After launching Teekhii Chhurii on Facebook and doing a couple of events, I’ve been getting a fantastic response. I get texts and e-mails from people telling me how much I inspire them, and that their children want to learn this art form. I get asked if I’m holding workshops too. I want Sanjhi to be recognised by a lot more people and more so the artists who make it. They are really not given enough recognition.
What are your hobbies besides Teekhii Chhurii?
Since I’m the only one handling Teekhii Chhuri for now, I’m left with no time to do anything else. My work keeps me up until 4 in the morning, which is when I prefer to work. I’ve got so much more to do than just cut paper, which is a lot of work already. I handle my social media, participate in events and also speak to my clients. I decide the framing as well as packaging after the client is satisfied with the design. All of this leaves me with no time at all to do anything else.
How long have you been working on reviving this art form?
After I launched Teekhii Chhurii, a lot of time went in reaching out to people and explaining my art to them. On looking at the design, people couldn’t figure out what it exactly was. I had to explain the uniqueness.
Sanjhi is a traditional Indian art form of hand-cut designs on a single sheet of paper using a sharp knife.
Describe your work process.
Before I start working on a project, I ask my client questions about what his preferences, what he’s passionate about. After that I make my first draft. If he likes it, I then carve it out and give him the final product. Every paper cut is different because each one has a different story. For this one couple, I asked them a lot of questions about the time their experiences and the places they had been to. I then had to create a story around their life.
Where did you learn this beautiful art form from?
I’ve done this all by myself. It took a lot of practice and patience. As far as my knowledge of Sanjhi goes, not many people in India have tried it out. As much as I loved every bit of my journey, it would be nice to have a mentor. For me it’s all been trial and error since I had no one to guide me. I had to experiment more than anything to see what works for me. There were times when I got really frustrated with no clue as to how to proceed. I can proudly say that I’ve done all of it on my own!
Do you create custom-made products?
Most of the time I am making custom-made frames for people. I haven’t started with other mediums as of now. I don’t have as many clients in Mumbai as I have around the country and abroad. And since my art is so delicate, I have to frame it before shipping it. International artists who are practicing this intricate art of paper cutting use a lot of different mediums. I’ll be getting to that later on. A lot of people ask me to conduct workshops, but right now I’m still in the learning process, figuring along the way what works for me. I’ll be ready to teach when I know that I’m using the best method.
