Tosha speaks to Blur The Border :

Blur : Do you have a definitive process while creating? Are there any habits or rituals that help you get into a creative mindset?

Tosha : Ever since I started working with ceramics, I've found myself embracing two habits that help me with my creative process. Firstly, the habit of maintaining notes on my phone. Ideas tend to show up at the most unexpected times—sometimes while working with clay, or while performing a mechanical task such as sanding my pieces. In these moments, I just pick up my phone and type out the most unfiltered raw version. I keep re-visiting these notes, some sound utterly stupid while some actually end up turning out into a collection or a physical piece. Secondly, the habit of sketching helps me visualise ideas. Pen and paper remain my preferred starting point. However, I occasionally use digital tools like Illustrator because being a graphic designer certain things seem easier when laid out on a digital artboard.

Blur : What role does the environment play in your work or fuelling your creativity?

Tosha : I recently moved into a new space where my studio is surrounded by various other artist studios. I like working in isolation but the freedom to interact with other artists and seek inspiration from their practice or simple chai time conversations really provide for a great space to be in.

Blur : How has your artistic style evolved since you started out in the industry and how do you view this evolution?

Tosha : I would say my artistic evolution has been dictated by the medium I work with. As a graphic designer, a lot of my work used to be 2 dimensional but somehow I was always driven towards manual processes - processes that involved using less of the screen and more hands-on work instead. I slowly gravitated towards clay as a medium and I think I have a lifetime worth of things to try within the world of ceramics.

Blur : How do you balance the need to be creative with the practical aspects of being a professional?

Tosha : That's always been a tricky one. Working with clay was far more freeing and enjoyable before I decided to take it up full-time. Running my own studio has been extremely challenging and frustrating at times, but equally fulfilling. There are times when I look at my studio space and can't believe I actually made it happen and there are times when I feel so overwhelmed by how I am going to take it forward. People often say you shouldn't turn your passion into a profession, but I'd definitely say otherwise. I still haven't fully given up my graphic design practice and that definitely helps me run the studio.

Blur : How do you handle imperfections in your art, or are they integral to your creative process?

Tosha : I think people often associate imperfection with handmade ceramics and crafts, and sometimes even get away with it because it's handmade. For me, the magic is to be able to create forms and objects that are perfect enough that sometimes it's hard to figure out whether it's handmade or created using moulds or other processes that involve machines. I find a certain amount of joy and satisfaction in creating such forms.

Blur : What comes first to you as a multidisciplinary artist, the art or the medium?

Tosha: The Medium, always. I work with clay, illustrate on paper and create work digitally as well and each of these mediums affect the way I approach my art. Each medium brings a certain set of constraints that shape the end result. 

Blur : Are there any other mediums you find interesting and would like to explore in the future?

Tosha: Print making and woodworking.

Blur : If you were to collaborate with other artists, outside of your discipline, what is the one collaboration you would love to do?

Tosha: India is so rich in crafts, that each state has karigars and clusters that work with various materials. I would love to collaborate with jamdani weavers or rug makers from Jawaja to see how my work can be translated on a medium like that.