While you were busy deciding what way you'll have them for breakfast, artist Farha Sayeed was making egg art worth Rs 1,25,000
While you were busy deciding what way you'll have them for breakfast, artist Farha Sayeed was making egg art worth rs 1,25,000
Great eggspectations don't always lead to great disappointments. For instance, when you watch artist Farha Sayeed transform a humble egg into an intricately carved fairytale carriage in a matter of minutes, you're sure her gift is as magical as the stories her installation tells. And there's more at her solo exhibition, Eggxotica. "I first saw a few pieces of egg art at my friend's place 12 years ago, and that was very fascinating. So, I enrolled for a short term course," says Farha, 39.
Ande ka funda: Farha used pearls, beads, brocade, velvet, satin, filigree
and silk to create these masterpieces
Birds in hand
Equally proficient at charcoal, thermocol, tile painting and aluminumu00a0 foil work, glass painting, glitter and zardozi work and soft-toy making, the Hyderabad-based artist has been working with the egg shells of ostrich, emu, turkey, goose and hen. "The process of egg decoration is rather tedious and elaborate, with some taking up to three weeks to complete. The eggshells are emptied and cleaned, after which I work decorate and paint them," she reveals. The eggs used for artistry belong to hatchery or farm-grown birds only. No eggs are taken from the wild, and the handling is very sensitive, she elaborates.
The drill
Farha uses a pocket drill to make the carvings, after which she employ techniques like decoupage, trolling, etching, engraving, dyeing and beadwork to create the pieces. "I usually ornament eggs using pearls, beads, brocade, velvet, satin, rhinestone chains, filigree and silk prints," she adds.
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Anda paid
Sayeed, the only Indian member of International Egg Art Guild, a non-profit association of artists, says travelling and exchanging notes makes her aware of a lot of styles of paintings. The prices of her exquisite pieces range from Rs 7000 to Rs 1,25,000. Astounded? "That's decided on the basis of the kind of egg used, ornamentation and the number of hours put in to complete them," she explains.
And well, for all those who think the stuff's still better kept to the kitchen, she says, "every woman should use their time in a creative manner, and in a way that they can learn something."
Eggxotica
At Visual Arts Gallery, India Habitat Centre, Lodhi Road
Till April 15, 10 am to 8 pm
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