When You Wish to Create Art That People Can Cherish ~ An Accessory Designer, Illustrator and Paper Artist Shares Her Story

When You Believe There is A Sacred Pu... When You Consider Each Day A Blank Ca...

When You Wish to Create Art That People Can Cherish ~ An Accessory Designer, Illustrator and Paper Artist Shares Her Story

Charles Todd says,

“The point of working with one’s hands is that it gives the mind something else to do besides worry.”

In our #WisdomWednesday post focusing on the #WonderWomen segment, we bring to you a woman who feels similarly about handcrafted and handmade products. Meet, Kanupriya Ahuja Asnani, who is an Accessory Designer, Illustrator, and a Paper Artist. She is the founder of Hopping Chidiya, a creative venture which on her own words is a platform where, “You can expect everything that’s handmade with paper, care, patience and love”. So, what gave her the motivation to get into this creative field and how does she manage time between her professional and personal life? Let’s find out in her own words.

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“What got me into it was my passion for Design and crafting things with my own hands. The joy that came out of creating something out of nothing has and is even today the most motivating and satisfying agent in my journey as an artist.

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Of course, it wasn’t all easy. The initial struggle began right away, as I had no background or guidance related to Design when I got admission to NIFT.

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Later, because of various personal commitments that I had to take care of, I could not continue my job. However, this did not make me stop completely. I started my work from home all over again after 2 years of break. The problem with this is that people do not take you when you say, “You do your professional work from home”

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They take it for granted that it’s just a hobby and often ask but what do you do for work! The other challenge is with the kind of work I do as an artist. In my case till this day and date people think since its paper how does it retain its shape and will get damaged if they wear it.

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I have always been passionate about handcrafted stuff and hence took it up as a profession too, but the turning point came when I started paper Quilling from home and opened my Etsy Shop.

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Alongside this I also did a small catalogue design project for a friend. Both these drew in lot of positive feedback and it motivated me to continue.

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My motivation is the urge to keep working even when I had no projects as I really wanted to keep my Design carrier. There was a point of time in my life when I had to leave work for some personal commitments.

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But in my heart, I knew I would start again. So, the hunger to work kept me motivated every day and now I have the entire community of designers and artists that keep each other motivated all the time. It all started with a paper exploration project in my second year of college at NIFT. We had to develop a range of paper goods for gifting purpose keeping in mind the emotional bond between a father and a daughter.

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After this, the same paper project got selected by an NGO and there was no looking back. This went on during college but once I graduated, I started work for a Design house and was there for 4 years.

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Post that I decided to start my very own Hopping Chidiya in 2012. Initially I was getting orders through friends and family but as the orders picked up, I expanded and started my online shop on Etsy. So, it has been a journey of growth and learning. I wish to create beautiful art through Paper and Design products that are sustainable. More than that I want to create beautiful art pieces that people can cherish in their lives and make them worthwhile. Meanwhile, I am enjoying the process, the present and not waiting for the end because I believe that kills the joy of present. If you are new just take it easy and give it your heart and soul.

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My learning has been that,