Bin there, done that

To perceive beauty in a city filled with mounds of garbage is a rare talent to have.

Bengaluru-based Sarita Karunakaram has actually spotted the potential hidden in discarded pipes, cycles, tyres and even a frying pan! As a mechanism to cope with boredom, Sarita started creating interesting decor pieces out of things people threw away and it has since become a passion and medium of artistic expression for this creative dynamo.   

As a child, Sarita would attend painting classes and did a lot of craft work at home. She shares, “Life and career caught up after that so I re-started work on my art only a year ago. I started painting as a way to keep myself busy. And now, I am doing this full time.” The first piece of decor that she created was a hanging chandelier that she made out of a cycle wheel. Talking about how the idea of turning trash to treasure came about, she reveals, “I have always been attracted to rustic style decor and pieces. I am constantly on the lookout for such things.

The idea came about when I noticed that I had trash around that could be turned into stunning pieces of decor,” she recalls, adding that she is constantly thinking of new ways to use discarded items. She admits, “Even while doing the smallest of things like making chapatis, ideas of turning the frying pan into a clock or a painting keep coming up. Over time I think I have developed a knack for looking at things differently.”

Talking about the kind of things that she has made, she lists, “I have made a sconce with a bicycle handle, globe light, funnel lamp, kettle painting, a lamp made out of GI pipes, decorative items using bottles...” Over the past year, Sarita has managed to create over 60 different pieces for which she has been receiving rave reviews. She says, “I think people now are more innovative and are aware of environment-friendly decor items. People have reacted very positively to whatever I have made.” Talking about the support she has been receiving, Sarita, who hails from Hyderabad, says, “Though most of the time I like doing things myself, I do need help. My family, who have been my biggest supporters, join me to look for materials too.” She hints at some of her upcoming projects: “I am working with concrete to make small planters and candlesticks that can be placed around the home. I am also doing something with tyres to turn them into
seats.”