Enter quirkville to surprise yourself

If hand-painted furniture, or a Rajnikanth made from 'upcycled' newspapers is your thing, head to Bliss Quirk Carnival. An exhibition could not have gone crazier

If you're a shopaholic and like all things quirky, you'll love this shopping extravaganza that awaits you. Bliss, a cosy two-storied store in Versova has transformed into a wacky exhibition space where new designers are showcasing their collections. "We are a multi-designer store and hold exhibitions in our courtyard once in about 45 days. However, this time we have decided to transform our store and exhibit collections by new designers alongside our regular products," says Mallika Desai Thakker, the store owner.



The exhibition will feature almost everything wackyu00a0-- from colourful coasters with 'booze is the secret of my energy' printed on them to custom-made Rajnikanth artwork (made from newspapers) and bright hand-painted furniture.u00a0 Bliss stocks the products of more than 60 fun designers, from Happily Unmarried to Chumbak. And these exhibitions, Mallika says, are an extension of what the store is all about. "We stock quirky lifestyle products, home and fashion accessories, etc. We have a varied range of products and the exhibition adds more colour to the existing range. For example, in this exhibition, we have a designer who will exhibit a range of funky cushions, mugs and clothes. We also have Bombay Merc, that will exhibit official licensed posters and merchandise," she says.

You will, however, not need to worry about these products burning a hole in your pocket. "Our products begin at Rs 50 (badges) and go up to Rs 25,000 (furniture). Our products appeal to people who fall in the 15 to 50 age bracket. Most of our customers are above 25 but we have something for everyone," Mallika explains.
So walk in to Bliss today and you may end up getting tempted to redo your entire house. There is also a high chance of running into wacko, young designers, and some of that might rub off on you too, which is always a good thing.

At: Plot No. 180, Aram Nagar 1, Fisheries University Road, 7 Bungalows, Versova, Andheri (W)
Call: 44310000

Bizarre badges
Lokesh Karekar, 27, is a visual artist specialising in illustration and design. After graduating from Sir JJ Institute of Applied Arts, he worked for design firms such as Grandmother India and Alok Nanda Company. In 2007, he started his independent illustration studio Locopopo. Karekar's brand of contemporary graphics is inspired by Indian culture and tradition. Notable among his products are ticket badges and sets of coasters. "My designs are inspired from daily mundane life. I see lots of quirkiness around and that reflects in my products," says Karkekar.

Glass gets a makeover
Saanwari Gorwaney, 28, a designer, worked in the field of advertising for six years, until she had enough. "I was getting really bored and saturated with my job, and was looking to do something that I'd really enjoy," she says. Since painting on glass was a childhood hobby, she thought of turning it into a profitable business. This was how PoppadumArt was born. "It just helped that the market for funky home d ufffdcor and personal items was booming," says Gorwaney. PoppadumArt does funky paintings, primarily on glass and ceramics. This includes painting on bottles, wall hangings, trays and mugs.

Funky paperwalla
Hari Chakyar, 24, is a copywriter at an advertising agency who, in his spare time, works with newspapers to design products under the brand Paperwalla Art. Why papers? "Since I'm bad at drawing, I chose designs where there is minimal drawing involved," says Chakyar. He has been doing his bit to go green for some time, acting in street plays concerning global warming, planting trees, and 'upcycling'. "Upcycling essentially means reusing old stuff to make new things. In upcycling you increase the quality of the product," he says. This will be Chakyar's first exhibition.

I heart my furniture
Vihal Mehta 's inspiration for painting began with furniture. "I got a couple of wall-painting projects from friends. Then I started painting furniture, etc. The response prompted me to start V Heart Art in March 6 this year," she says. Mehta, 28, a NIFT graduate, sits with her carpenter to design the products and then herself does the artwork on it. "The art that I do cannot exactly be categorised. It's not pop art, just happy, fun stuff," she says. V Heart Art designs lifestyle products, upholstery, storage boxes, trunks, etc.