NATIONAL 6 -(Spotlight Weekly)]

All That Glitter

A young Indian woman organizes an exhibition of fascinating gold and diamond ornaments

By SANJAYA DHAKAL

Walking down the corridor of Sarosh Art Gallery is quite a mesmerizing experience. Beautifully decorated, the compilation of sparkling jewelry designed by a young Indian woman, Purnima Chainwala, provides for a glittering exhibition.

An object : Creative work

Titled "Eternal Motifs" the exhibition includes a wide array of designer jewelry, including necklaces, anklets, earrings and so on. The exhibition-cum-sale was opened at the gallery in Chhauni last week.

Intricately designed and masterfully crafted, the jewels in the exhibition speak for themselves. Besides, the jewels are not offensively priced. They are in the range of Rs 35,000 to Rs 150,000.

Chainwala, 23, has a special interest in jewelry and her focus is on "easy-wear, everywhere". She hopes that the public accepts her designs.

Designer wear is thought by many to be expensive and considered too classy to be worn in daily life. Be it clothes or ornaments, ordinary people in this part of the world are yet to accept designer things in a big way. "I feel that designer wear should be accepted by the public. I believe in simplicity and that designer wear should be worn for comfort," says Chainwala.

She says that the designer wear is meant for everybody and that the people need to learn to value such stuff. "I am inspired by various shapes and beautiful motifs in natural surroundings like flowers, sky, or even something abstract like thunder, which I have incorporated in my designs."

Chainwala has undertaken professional training in jewelry making at the Jewelry Product Development Center, New Delhi, India. A skilled artist, Chainwala has also founded a jewelry design studio called Nima-C, which is based in Kathmandu.

"It requires perseverance and thought for making a new piece of jewelry. The effort is to arrive at a design, which can be worn, is not too loud and can be technically made by the artisans. As each of my pieces is handcrafted, great care has to be taken regarding the finish and durability," she says.

Exhibition of jewelry is rare in Kathmandu. Moreover, an exhibition from an artist who hails from the country that is world renowned for its tradition in making and wearing jewelry is a unique opportunity for the Nepalese audience.

The designing of jewelry requires both creativity as well as painting skills, as the artist has to make sketches first. For Chainwala, who has been interested in this field since childhood, the job has become easier because she is a painter, too.

Already, she has organized four exhibitions including the one at the Australian Spring Fair, 2001 held at the Australian High Commissioner’s residence in New Delhi.

The latest exhibition of Chainwala includes gold and diamond jewelry. "Although I love to work in different metals, I chose gold this time as it is currently the in-thing."

Scores of people, especially women, thronged the gallery to have a look at the jewelry collection. The exhibition had a special meaning as it was organized just on the eve of a marriage season. Gold jewelry, traditionally have had a special significance during marriage ceremonies and other festivals in the country.