सहज
A simple word with a simple meaning - Natural.
An impulse that made my hands mould my dreams! ~ Sangeeta Kamboj
Curiosity makes people do wonders and the same happened with me. I was a teacher by profession, living a happy peaceful life with my lovely husband and two kids. But the aspiration to do something different and of my own always triggered some spark in me. The immense amount of love I possess for art & craft always made me try different things and eventually I wanted to convert it into something bigger and permanent. It is insane how human thoughts are immeasurable and can build up so much curiosity in one’s mind. This sudden thought of how we have a life on earth and how we have derived so much from nature itself gave me the urge to see if I could also create something from the elements of mother earth. I started brainstorming and did my research on the same and finally found the perfect answer, i.e, ‘terracotta jewellery’. Just like, I experimented with paper mache, I also started doing it with terracotta clay or mitti. The fact that the jewellery is handmade and made out of nature itself felt more authentic. It brings out a strong connection between humans and nature. So I decided to give this work of art a name, hence slowly and gradually ‘Sahaj’ was born.
Every piece at Sahaj is a mixture of love and hard work. Every part is moulded with utmost dedication and detail. First, the terracotta clay or mitti is grinded into a fine powder and then it is filtered through a sieve. It is then left in water for 2-3 days. After the dilution, a dough is prepared using one’s hand pressure. Once the dough is ready, it is then moulded into different shapes and sizes. Lockets, pendants, beads, earrings, studs etc of different shapes and sizes are prepared entirely by the use of bare hands. It then becomes a canvas where different motifs and details are carved. Next, all the pieces are dried up in sunlight and baked on fire. Finally, it is one of my favourite part of the entire process where the play of colours come into action and all the pieces are painted with multiple coatings. It is painted and then dried and painted and dried again and the process goes on a few times. Then one last final touch is given, a few coats of varnish are done on every part and are left to dry. This entire process takes up to around ten or more days. But patience is the key they say ! And indeed the results are beautiful and satisfactory. It sometimes becomes almost unbelievable how a simple clay converts into a gorgeous piece on someone’s neck.
My creation ’Sahaj’ is not only simple jewellery but it is a combination of all the five elements of nature that God has used to create us: “Prithvi (clay), Jal (water), Agni (fire), Vayu (wind) and Akash (imagination)”.
मिट्टी को गूँधा जल से
दिया मनचाहा आकार
अग्नि से तप ताकत मिली
वायु से मिला दुलार
सहज की रचना से
हुई मेरी सोच साकार
