Writ in metal

Young engraving artist Aman Poddar's debut exhibition is showcasing his exquisitely detailed and handcrafted works.

Hailing from a business family, it was only natural for Aman Poddar to join the family business. However, he was quick to realise that it is not the business that interests him, but ‘a field that has a strong aesthetic element to it’. A visit to jeweller Viren Bhagat’s studio in Mumbai only fuelled his burning desire to pursue art and design and he started interning at Tholia’s Kuber in Jaipur. However, it was a course on bench jewellery at New Approach School for Jewellers in Tennessee that got him into engraving.

Aman was exposed to various art forms from the beginning and he always enjoyed creating things with his own hands. “My desire to create is deeper than my desire to engrave. I want to create using as many mediums as I can, which includes other forms of jewellery, embroidery and murals,” he said. Aman finds inspiration from a variety of sources, including yoga, music, running, even the sound of a branch snapping under the feet, the sight of a cloud, or absolute silence. “Patterns, natural world and originality are some of the things I admire and try to incorporate in my work,” he revealed. However, Aman feels that it is not possible to replicate anything present in nature. “I focus on observing and letting my subconscious alter and combine elements I have observed to give rise to an idea,” he said.

After completing the course, he came back to India and started his own studio ‘naam’ in Bengaluru. “I didn’t want the name to have a strong identity and wanted to leave it open to flow organically and I think ‘naam’ embodies that,” he explained the reason behind his studio’s name.

Handcrafted beauties

Aman primarily uses alloys of silver or gold to craft stunning pieces of jewellery with exquisite details. Each piece is entirely handcrafted by Aman himself and the combination of traditional craft with a modern visual style makes his designs unique. Also, the originality of the designs set them apart.

Since each piece is handcrafted, there will always be minor variations in the designs. “Most of my earrings are slightly different from the others in a pair. A bird might have its head tilted in a different direction or when it is a pattern, it isn’t precise,” he informed. Depending on the details, it usually takes more than 30 hours to create a pair of earrings, while the silver tiles that serve as display pieces take more than 45 hours.

Aman is staging his first exhibition ‘Ekab’, which translates to ‘one’ at the Akara Art in Mumbai. The exhibition is showcasing 40 gold and silver articles handcrafted with utmost attention and love. The collection is a product of seeing, absorbing and combining the elements not just from nature but also from artworks, objects and the way they interact with each other. “My designs don’t try to portray realism, but instead are my own interpretation of these elements,” he said. The silver work starts from Rs 30,000 and the gold from Rs 70,000. The exhibition ends today.

Aman plans to continue exploring engraving. He also wants to combine it with other forms and techniques — inlaying and creating more dimensional works. “Besides, I would like to create pieces by soldering small pieces together,” he added.