Claytopia

Meera Chandra’s ‘Mannu’ is breathing new life into simple earth, turning it into colourful jewellery.

- Rochelle D’Souza

A few years ago Meera accompanied her mother to a fashion boutique in Kochi and while her mother looked at fabrics and embroidery she was drawn to the jewellery and accessories. There was a pair of 'jimmikki kammal' in particular that she liked and like most kids, she tugged at the mothers skirt and demanded that she buy them for her. As most things are in designer boutiques, the earrings were rather expensive, and Meera's mother chided her and said that she can just as easily make her own that is equally beautiful, if not more. Thus began her experimentation with jewellery making.

"I brought terracotta clay the very next day and watched innumerable tutorials on how to shape and form clay on YouTube. After a great deal of experimentation I gradually learned and created an aesthetic for myself. Later, when I got into architecture school, I began to experiment with shapes and forms." says Meera Chandran, the 21 year old student of Architecture at KMEA College who moonlights as a jewellery designer and runs her brand 'Mannu'.

‘Mannu’ means earth, and while it is one of the simplest elements and the most easily available, it is also the most versatile. Meera isn’t quite sure why she decided to use clay as her medium of choice, all she knows is that she has always been drawn to it. "Something about the element that allows you to meld and mould it struck a chord with me."

"I don’t really remember when it was that I began what can only be described as my love affair with all things handmade. I guess it all began with the intrinsic traits I inherited from my mother, who is a very talented artist. I've been toying with clay ever since I was in school. I joined