Bilv and Raja

My father and I are from the sprawling metropolis of Bangalore, where I was born in 1990 and he in 1955.

My father began creating ceramics in 1997 after training with a mentor, and has worked tirelessly since then. Seeing him work with constant zeal and motivation inspired me, and I dreamed of following in his footsteps. After completing a degree in interior design, I asked my father to take me under his wing and this is how we began working together.

"My constant motivation is my father as his father was his, and I strive to work harder every day to make him proud.

"After some time under his tutelage, I found my own niche and constantly strive to improve upon that. My creativity complements my father's skill and has made us a great duo. For us, the freedom to create is enthralling and that makes our work therapeutic for us.

"Our materials from all over the country, but we also understand that the best things are made by our own hands, so our clay and glazes are always mixed in our workshop. Our glaze is a result of years of field study, trial and error and is highly regarded. Since 2005, we've had a stall at a local art fair to showcase our work and have garnered a lot of appreciation for our art.

"My father runs the show and is mentoring me to take the reigns, but this mammoth task is made simpler by the undying support of my family and hard work of my extended family who all work in a dedicated team.

"We strive to create eco-friendly handcrafted ceramics using only non-toxic materials as we seek to empower the people of my neighborhood."