Anthropologist Claude Lévi-Strauss suggests in The Savage Mind that we derive satisfaction from minuscule objects because we can see and comprehend them in their entirety, which makes them less threatening. Essentially, tiny towns, toy soldiers, and miniature tea sets make us feel like gods… or Godzilla. Miniatures are compact — they condense lots of intricate visuals within a very limited space. That richness of features makes them highly appealing to our senses,” says miniature artist and owner of Agnika Creations, Agnika Banerjee, when I asked her about what attraction miniatures hold for the adult mind. And surely, this explains the popularity of her business of making miniatures, the scope of which is not miniature by any stature at all.

After nurturing a childhood hobby, she transformed it into her passion and a miniature birthday cake that she made for her mother made her famous and also made her quit her human resource management job to launch her eponymous brand in 2017. “While looking online for ways to make air-dry clay more flexible, I chanced upon oven-bake clay and the various possibilities of it in dollhouse miniatures. Getting inspired, I started sculpting miniature food items because I found them very attractive. When everyone started appreciating them and requesting miniatures, I thought of taking it up professionally,” Agnika explained.

Agnika specialises in making miniatures fashioned after Bengali food items or artefacts and a large part of her clientele is made up of Bengalis who don’t live in the city any more. For them, her miniatures are reminiscent of a slice of home. “All my clay miniatures are made up of polymer clay (a kind of clay which hardens when baked in oven). I also use chalk pastels and glaze for added effect. The common tools used are blades, needle tool, rolling pin and shape cutters. I always like to have a picture of the real food item that I am replicating in a miniature form in front of me while sculpting it. At times, I also study the recipe to understand the texture and colour behind the final dish to make the miniature look realistic. After giving the clay the desired shape, colour and texture, it is baked in the oven. Once it cools, a layer of glaze/varnish is applied if required. All are sculpted from scratch and hours of dedicated effort goes into making each miniature as detailed as possible. Also the raw materials used are imported from USA, hence at times they are not easily available,” said the miniature artist while talking shop.

All of the miniatures at Agnika Creations are made to order and takes a minimum of 10 days to ship. They can be purchased in the form of magnets or showpieces. Keychains, earrings and charms are also available.

Here’s a glimpse of a few of her creations:

Bengali Wedding Collection: Gaye Holud Kulo Miniature; Rs 3,500

Bengali Wedding Collection: Aiburobhat (Bridal Shower) Platter Miniature; Rs 10,000

Bengali Wedding Collection: Bhaat Kapor Miniature; Rs 3,575

Miniature Chicken Hakka; Noodles Rs 1575

Miniature Phuchka Preparation Board; Rs 3,725

Bengali Sweets Platter Miniature; Rs 3,275

Miniature Watermelons on Cutting Board; Rs 1,075

More about the artwork

What: Agnika’s Creations

Where: @agnikacreations on FB and IG

To order or see catalogue: 9073900095

Pictures: Agnika Creations