Taking your art to people is only one part of being an artist. Aparna Raju, who specialises in porcelain art, has taken the next step to help crowds embrace the art form and understand its intricacies through her unique videos on Youtube. Among the few artists in the country to pursue the form using oil-based colours, the videos of this Hyderabad-based artist uploaded over a five year span have shed light on the art work and the technique behind it. The artist made a splash at the Champion Book of World Records event organised by Scoremore Foundation recently, where she was felicitated for having done the ‘most number of videos done on Porcelain Art’.
“For me, the objective was to bring more awareness surrounding porcelain art and helping audiences know what goes into making an art work. It’s a form many are using with printed designs and water colours nowadays; I wanted to give it the right due with the use of oil colours,” says the artist, whose repertoire also extends to 3D art and blade painting. Adding that the record has boosted her morale, she acknowledges every artist needs an extra push to move ahead. Aparna had taken to the digital space to understand what her global counterparts were upto, how the form and technique varied across countries and the difference she could make through her own channel ‘Aparna Arts’ on Youtube.
Among other reasons that motivated her to make a mark on the digital space is the diminishing quality of works made in the country and the dominance of imported articles across e-commerce platforms. “Not many in India take up porcelain art as their specialisation, it was important to revive its significance among youngsters.”
Apart from the online space, television was another medium she adopted to make an impact. Her demo videos on porcelain art were featured over 170 episodes across various Telugu TV channels. An aspect that distinguishes Aparna’s porcelain art works from her counterparts is the floral design, which she has embedded on clocks, dinner sets, mugs, tea sets and other decorative articles. She mentions that the investment pertaining to the art form is her biggest challenge. “That an art work needs to undergo multiple heating procedures at 850 degree Celsius to attain that glaze makes it difficult. I intend to diversify within this space and better myself with the videos over time,” she signs off. (You can find the link to her channel here )
