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A big idea in centimetres: She crafts small wonders


Bengaluru: A fanciful hobbit house with a circular door and pebbled pathway; a medieval-era stone fountain; a quaint European countryside home with a well and wooden logs. Madhusmita Pathy’s RT Nagar home accommodates it all and still has plenty of room to spare.

Madhusmita, 35, is a Bengaluru-based artist who crafts tiddly versions of life-size objects with surprising precision.

“Small is beautiful,” she says, outlining, in the shortest possible way, her work motto. Her art corner is a microcosm of the real world — from a miniature bedroom to an intricately designed 50-piece kitchen set, the creations are a visual treat and evidence of deft craftsmanship.

This is more remarkable because she’s had no formal training in the subject; she learned the tricks of the trade from experts on online platforms.

Madhusmita’s love affair with miniatures dates back to her childhood when the diminutive Lilliputians in Gulliver’s Travels captured her fancy. “I was awestruck by the inhabitants of Lilliput, the first stop of Gulliver’s voyage. I constantly imagined their world. When I got into various styles of paintings and craft, I began to experiment with miniatures,” she recalls. It’s the hunger to create something that really drives her. “Art gives me unbridled joy. I feel a sense of accomplishment when I create something,” she says.

Madhusmita was a lecturer at an engineering college in Bhubaneswar, Odisha, for about six years before she moved to Bengaluru post marriage in 2013. She now takes maths tuitions for students of classes 11 and 12, but still manages to squeeze in time for art.

“Teaching is my profession and art my passion,” she says. “Though it’s no mean feat to juggle chores, lessons and art, when a new idea strikes me, I try to execute it. At times, I go to bed only by 2 or 3am. Thankfully, my husband is very supportive; he’s the one who wanted me to explore my creative side. He is also my best critic.”

Her brother, who often travels abroad for work, brings her supplies. The Bengalurean, who uses air-dry clay, acrylic colours and material like wires for her miniatures, has also tried her hand at acrylic and oil paintings and designing customised art/travel journals.

But what’s her favourite piece of work? “The hobbit house. It’s covered with grass and has a swing, dining table, mesh window and even a vegetable cart,” she says. An acquaintance who was intrigued by the creation bought it for Rs 3,000.

She has not participated in any exhibition, but she shares her work on social media, mostly Facebook and Instagram. Her super-tiny creations are in demand in a niche group of people — architecture students and interior designers looking for miniature models of furniture and room décor items. “It’s definitely gratifying when one’s work is recognised and appreciated, but, for now, I don’t plan to make it a full-time career,” she says.

Madhusmita has some advice for women who gave up their hobby or passion because of family commitments. “If you’re passionate about art, stop at nothing. You must be able to strike the right balance in order to keep learning, experimenting and innovating. The biggest challenge is the gap between visualisation and execution, which one needs to surmount,” she says.





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