The intricate designs showcased in Parth Kothekar’s paper cut creations are certainly mind-blowing. This paper cut artist from Ahmedabad, India is making waves on the internet, the likes of which are not seen across the globe.
Parth’s passion for paper cut art began when he started experimenting with graffiti stencils. This led him to hone his skills in creating stencils in an inverse fashion. His friends, seeing his exceptional talent, encouraged him to make paper cut his profession. Says Partha, “This art form made me feel more connected to my work. I felt ‘life’ in them. Initially, I did this only as a hobby, but the inspiration from my close friends made me consider this as a profession.” The rest, as they say, is history.
Although Partha’s paper cut designs are intricate, his ideas are simple that are based on everyday aspects of life. Even in this simplicity, there is a challenge since he really doesn’t know what the final output will be until the end. Challenges motivate him and curiosity keeps him going.
Partha’s art may be based on everyday aspects of life, but it requires some doing in creating it. Each piece requires hours of back-breaking work. The time taken may range from as much as 18 hours to as little as 35 to 40 minutes. Of course, the more intricate the artwork, more time it takes to complete.
As regards the process, Partha first sketches his idea on a single sheet of paper and then cuts out the silhouette with a surgical knife. Of course, no other knife would do! Strangely, unlike other artists who get inspired by the various elements of the outside world, for him, his artwork is his inspiration.
Although immensely talented, Partha’s path to fame too was strewn with difficulties and uncertainties. His brand Omegamma faced financial troubles and was forced to shut down. Instead of ruing this fact and getting disheartened, he started with a renewed gusto and, like a true artist, worked hard to make finer and more intricate designs. This is how he arrived at his latest venture ‘Papercut’.
The response of the audience to this venture was phenomenal. Partha maintains, “The response is what keeps me going. It’s overwhelming to see strangers support my work. My customers are quite shocked when they find out its paper and not glass print…”The good news is his works can be bought online.
Parth Kothekar
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