Bharti Pitre and her team of artisans highlight these everyday exchanges through these pieces
How soon will our children return to offline education? As parents debate this on our schedule, Oli Maté’s school time statue is a fascinating reminder of what we once took for granted: a mother with her son, waiting for the school bus. Pune-based craft studio Oli Mate is filling its Instagram page and fans’ work desks and fridge surfaces with handcrafted collectibles – small sacks of garlic and onions, a mango crate, Kingfisher tableware, Rickshaw salt and pepper shakes, Also a Konkan settlement.
Launched in 2019 as the Center for Rural Entrepreneurship, Development and Research (CREDAR), and a showcase of handmade products in Konkan, the studio aims to empower artists by training them. Creative head and founder, Bharati Pitre, 58, guides 15-odd artisans, but does the final painting herself. “I try to assimilate what I see from life in my papier-mâché sculptures. From a lively exchange Speed From a father telling his son a bedtime story, or a woman who is about to take a selfie, the familiar moments and images we overlook are my muse,” says the acclaimed papier-mâché artist.
Having been shown in galleries such as the Jehangir Art Gallery in Mumbai, he is also popular among private collectors. The 15 cm School Time Statue (₹11,500) in terracotta effectively expresses the love and protection of a mother. The bamboo and terracotta used are locally sourced.
Collections like Sahyadris Hues and From Konkan With Love are available on onoleemaatee.com; ₹500 to ₹13,500.
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