Raja Ravi Varma continues to inspire many designers with his paintings that pay a great deal of attention to costumes, jewellery, lifestyle and so on. Designer Divya N., a graduate of the National Institute of Fashion Technology, is one such creative artiste who has been inspired by the royal artist.
“This collection of mine called ‘Chithiram’, which could mean image or picture in Tamil and Malayalam, is my ode to Ravi Varma who created such beautiful works of art that placed women centre stage. Without glorifying her, he focussed on Indian women from different walks of life and while doing so, he presented them with dignity. So, this collection uses his images and embellishments that are seen in his paintings,” explains Divya who is teaching in Chennai.
The collection, which is Kitschy and quirky, attempts to reproduce the grandeur and charm of Ravi Varma’s paintings in the form of wearable art. Sayuri, her brand, tries to be eco-friendly and sustainable by recycling products that most of us assign for the waste basket. “I am greatly inspired by Japanese culture and Indian art. My brand name Sayuri, is, in fact, Japanese. It means ‘white lily’. I hope to craft affordable jewellery for the contemporary woman,” she says, speaking on the phone from Chennai.
Divya tries to blend traditional craft, knowledge and skills with modern ideas and technology to create contemporary products. “Taking inspiration, again from Ravi Varma, who made lithographs of his paintings to make it affordable to the common man, I want to ensure that my pieces give value for money. I want my collection to be worn and not end up in a locker or museum. I have used everyday objects such as pins, old spectacles, sunglasses, paper clips, pieces of artefacts and so on to craft jewellery. There is no gold or silver in it,” she elaborates. The result is in the form of unique pieces of jewellery that is an artistic mix of the ancient and the modern. “Ravi Varma paid a lot of attention to even small things like medals, pendants, ear rings and so on. I have used images, pearls and his designs to craft the pieces. There are necklaces, bangles, bracelets, brooches, hair clips and pendants in the collection,” adds Divya.
The prices range from Rs.300 to Rs.3,000. The designer will be in the city to showcase her collection. The handmade, exquisite pieces, which are for sale, will be displayed at Sarwaa on Sunday, August 19, from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. (contact: 04713022220). In addition TLC will showcase her Chithiram collection at Sarwaa in their show ‘Oh My Gold’. The channel visits the boutique shop on Monday, says Tigi Philip, owner of Sarwaa. Contact: jewelsofsayuri@gmail.com
