About

aranya earthcraft

We are a team of artists, creating some interesting arty products (made of papiermache) which are environment friendly.

We the founders, Dr. Vivek Prasad & Preeti Gupta, started this setup to design and create environment-friendly designer/arty products in 2005.


We started this initiative under the name Aranya Earthcraft, with a great concern towards saving our environment and being sustainable in every way possible; also reviving the age old papier-mache craft which has become limited to very few varieties in today's time, whereas this material has been explored vastly in 18th century.

Papier-mâché craft is a term, generalised for casual tiny artifacts which has been in and around us since ages.
But we never knew about its versatile usage in early 18th century by artisans of different continent. The process of papier-mâché has been practiced in different parts of Asia, making gifts and artifacts. But Europe saw it in a larger way therefore they used this material in making larger pieces like furniture to wall ceiling decoration.

Now "India" was introduced to papier-mâché craft by a group of artisans who travelled to Kashmir from Persia. And along with other crafts of pashmina work, wood and naqashi, papier-mâché craft was also taught to the Kashmiri artisans.

In India this craft is practiced using different process of making, in several states. Three states who are majorly know for papier-mâché craft (having totally different making process) are Kashmir, Rajasthan and Bihar.

At Aranya Earthcraft, we follow Rajasthani process of making papier-mâché, (mixture of paper pulp, khadiya mitti Or white clay, edible glue or khane wala gond). We, having been majorly inspired by nature and human moods, the artistic approach is reflected in each piece we create. 'Contemporizing of our inspiration is the core of our art/design concept'. We believe in making anything and everything out of this versatile material. Though we have limits of its usage in daily life, but we have always tried and gone beyond the limits, from making arty jewellery to coasters, candle holders, wall plates, clocks, lamps, platters, door laminations and keep going on with experimenting and bringing more products, unbelievably made of papier-mâché. Using this material helps us in reducing waste (everything is recyclable or bio-degradable) and usage of least electricity (handmade and sun/air dried).