FLAWS ARE BEAUTIFUL
KRITIKA SONI, 28 CERAMIC ARTIST, KARA SABI, DELHI www.karasabi.com
It was during her MA programme in textiles at Chelsea College of Arts, University of the Arts London, UK, that Kritika Soni found herself exploring clay as a medium. “I was working on a project on slow design and sustainability when I first laid my hands on clay. After completing my masters, I returned to India and worked in the textile industry for a while but soon realised that my calling was in ceramics,” says Soni.
PERFECT IMPERFECTIONS In 2016, Soni launched Kara Sabi as a small start-up with focus on handcrafted functional and decorative pieces that were unique and original. “One is happier by embracing imperfections. Handcrafted products are often more sustainable, luxurious and unique with materials that are richer and more durable,” explains the ceramist.
PROCESS OF ART Inspired by the Japanese philosophy of Wabi Sabi that honours all things old, worn, weathered, imperfect and impermanent, Kara Sabi’s pieces are all about texture and layering. The process begins with Soni’s rough sketches of shapes and forms, which then undergo tweaking till she achieves the prototype, and then the final piece takes form. “Often I end up with something that is completely different from the sketch. My placement and usage of textures is spontaneous and not pre-planned, which is why no two pieces look the same,” says Soni. Her range of functional as well as art ceramics includes tableware (platters, plates, bowls, mugs), vases and sculptures, in a subtle and pleasing colour palette.
PRICE `350 to and `4,000