Working Papers
For darling Aavya, all of five years old, the whole world’s a canvas and each of us its little artists. Instead of waiting for the right set of painting gear to unleash her creativity, Aavya turns every piece of paper around her into a vibrant canvas of infinite possibilities. In this, she reserves a special fondness for Papa’s work papers. But unlike children her age, she leaves the walls around her squeaky clean. At merely two years of age, her eager, unguided steps found their way, after a stumble or two, to colour and paper — and with these friends she sat, making art.
Aavya’s creative journey actually began during the standstill months of the pandemic. She was barely three, making doodles relentlessly on notepads and conference pads at the ITC Royal Apartment, where she resides with her parents. Aavya’s happy family of three — with Mumma, Papa and herself—often ends up being her favourite subject for doodles. From birds and flowers to her favourite spots in and around the hotel and the apartment terrace garden, diverse worlds find expression in her art. The crows in her paintings are her own, with yellow beaks after having feasted on ripe mangoes! Afternoons are when Aavya can be mostly found immersed in her creative process at a sunny little desk by a French window.
Delightfully experimental, Aavya is known to turn heads with her unconventional methods — from painting with playdough to using the vegetables from the day’s menu to create art. Young Aavya has already tried her hand at sketching, scrape painting and bottle painting and is particularly adept with watercolours.
Her art, carefully archived by her mother Manjari Maheshwari and father Sundeep Bhutoria, is a testament to her secret superpower of imagination. Her work opens the doors to the inner lives of children, full of joy and verve, not yet weighed down by the rules and rigours of life. It whispers and screams in equal measure, ensnaring our senses and drawing us in to dip our toes into her pool of thoughts. It is a museum of innocence, of wondrous wide-eyed curiosity and of life at large.
Sundeep Bhutoria is widely acknowledged as a connoisseur of the fine arts. He plays an instrumental role in preserving and promoting India’s rich cultural legacy and works tirelessly to advocate for universal literacy rooted in the nation’s literary heritage. Despite his countless engagements, Bhutoria can often be found unwinding with his darling daughter Aavya by the fish pond at ITC Sonar, their shared laughter brightening up the lush green gardens. The little one’s art holds a special place in his heart, and he cherishes the moments spent in scribbling wonders on his piles of office papers.
Aavya loves story time with her mother Manjari Maheshwari when they trek together through enchanted terrains, eyes full of wonder. Her fascination with mythical creatures stems from a steady stream of mythologies, epics and fairy tales narrated to her by her mother. Aavya’s imagination is cradled in tender love and care by her parents in an atmosphere that nurtures art and is nourished by it all at once.
