Paper in its myriad forms……

My work is an expression of my soul and a manifestation of the enchantment of the natural world. I am honored to be the conduit for this utterance. As I have worked with this medium, I have moved into the deeper rhythm of my life and have become aware of the magic that surrounds us all. My hope is that my work will touch others in such a way that they, too, can feel the magic.

I am not an avid writer hence my words are in random order:

My name is Anand Prakash, I am 32 years old and I have built from scratch a company by the name of Anand’z Creation that specializes in creative products – all made from 100% recycled and wood-free handmade paper. I believe in the adage “What the mind can conceive and believe….it can achieve.” I am a self taught artist who worked extremely hard to build a company selling unusually beautiful products that never existed earlier. I came into the market with a breath of fresh air offering creative designs in handmade paper products like greeting cards, individually designed scrapbooks, handmade paper lamps, handmade paper screens and partitions, recycled paper jewelry, gift bags, etc.

I come from a small town called Daltonganj in Jharkhand, India. I did my schooling at Wynberg Allen located in Mussoorie in the district of Uttaranchal, India. It was here that the devoted teachers brought out the best in us. Wynberg Allen played an important role in making me what I am. Had I not gone to WAS, I would not be doing what I am today. I came to study economics in Delhi University but my heart was in design so I followed my heart even though art and design was a strict no-no back home in Jharkhand. To turn my passion into a profession I started from a one room apartment in New Delhi making cards at night and marketing them by the day. It took time for people to accept my work and once I achieved that there was no looking back. When I set up my company there was no one to help this young lad from a nondescript town. I have marketed myself by setting up my website in 2001 at a time when it was un-heard of. Every product then carried our website and eventually people started contacting us. The media has been very helpful with their coverage of me and my work. They are always looking for something unique I guess. I conducted workshops with people of all ages to bring my work into the limelight. Today I have built a craft company that has logged 100% plus growth per annum from the last three years. I am exporting to the USA, UK and South-east Asia. All our export orders are backed by 100% advance payment. Our greeting cards are sold as museum quality sendable art; I have been successful in making my work globally accepted. Each piece is individually handcrafted by a team of skilled craftsman that have been trained over a period of time. With patience and skill each masterpiece goes through a slew of processes and quality checks. Even though being individually handcrafted all our cards have consistency in design and quality.

From design to development, accounting to purchasing raw materials, marketing to communicating with our various buyers, I am the face of the company. I know that to grow I have to delegate work. I believe that success in my work is all a matter of time. I am working hard to build a company that while being on a creative pursuit does not compromise on its superior design and quality.

Today we handcraft 10,000 cards a month; our products are retailed from 20 specialty stores all over India. We have exhibited from Paperworld – Frankfurt for two years in a row. We have a vast list of corporate clients who believe in our work and know that if there is something different that they want…then we are the ones who can deliver. From a 24/7 water availability invite to a Delhi university folder with an abacus design complete with beads…we have solutions for every institution. I started creating all by myself and today I employ 25 craftsmen directly and many more indirectly. I have the pleasure of running a company that is impeccable in its work and delivery schedules. The creative bug has turned a craftsman into an entrepreneur.

In my early days it was all about creativity and art, I came up with ideas like envelopes stitched with cloves, wrapping papers embellished with spices, hand painted canvases, etc. I never repeated a design. Today it’s a 1000 pieces per design; it’s about functionality and entrepreneurship. It’s about Business and it’s about expansion. In my pursuit I have never cut corners or compromised on the quality of my work- and that has stood me in good stead. My pieces of art are unique. The detailing that goes into each of my products is un-paralleled, my quality is impeccable and my innovativeness has brought us laurels from all corners of the world. The USP of my cards is simplicity and the imaginative use of everyday materials like recycled paper, natural fibers, metal, spices, crystals, coconut shells, antique coins, jute, postal stamps, etc. I have brought in a gamut of innovations and techniques, from embroidery and stitching on paper to creative cutting, from painting metallic edges to the use of everyday materials in my work, from etching on metal to fusing paper with cloth….the list is endless. My works have been featured in trend shows at Paperworld – Frankfurt (Germany) and The National Stationery Show in New York. My repertoire of work is a never ending maze… I have more than a thousand designs in Greeting cards alone. Our products are environmentally responsible and sustainable. We offer museum quality eco-friendliness that truly is an affordable luxury. Our range of handmade cards bring artistry to handwritten communications. It is now our constant Endeavour to keep people happy with our new designs…..we have to maintain our uniqueness by being regular with new products. It’s easy to make a new customer but difficult to retain an old one.

How I Started

Pictures Of My Studio

My Studio

My Studio Again