Like Baltic amber, the epoxy resin (liquid resin that solidifies) can preserve anything we love for years and years to come. Maybe even for generations. Using this simple expoy-resin, we can preserve the flower from our first date without pressing it between the book and perhaps use it as a paperweight. There is a lot more to do with the epoxy — available at many crafts stores in the city. Meet these city artists, who are making dining tables, chairs, wall clocks, and a lot more by infusing them with wood.
Marzia Ali kept experimenting with epoxy resin since 2016 as a hobbyist and is currently focusing on live flower preservation. “After three months of experimentation during the lockdown, I finally added live flower preservation in my catalogue. The clients get the flowers, and I try and preserve it as they imagine it to be — paperweight, a bookmark, or just memorabilia,” says Marzia Ali, who is also offering a three-month-long course on resin and alcohol ink art.
Like most resin artists, Marzia got inspired by resin artists on Instagram. Later on, she started off small by exhibiting at flea markets and gained a fan following. After years of toil in her studio and experimentation to perfection, she began workshops in late 2019. “My first medium was watercolour, followed by acrylic paint and alcohol ink. I got commissions from architectural and interior design firms in the city for the resin art,” says she, who makes small beautiful things of resin. But meet Prashanth Adimoolam, who has taken the art to the next level. He makes resin furniture and has started a company called Epoxy Furnishings.
Prashanth primarily is into making tables combining wood and resin. “Most people look for good quality wooden blocks. I look for the worst. Because, the more porous the wood is, the more cavities it has, the more textured it is, the beautiful the work,” says Prashanth. “Expoxy enlivens the wood,” he adds.
“I started this business during the first wave when I was looking for a perfect coffee table. I thought why not make my own,” Prashanth says. Adding, “Then I started making lawn tablets, watches, and cutting boards. Based on the requests I started giving my furniture pieces an Italian look which is a mix of granite and resin since granite is sturdy by itself, it makes epoxy look all the more sublime.”