Etikoppaka, a village by the Varaha river in Vishakapatnam is famous for its vibrant wooden toys. The speciality of the toys is in its making, they are made out of the soft wood from the local Ankudu tree and of lac, a colourless resinous secretion derived from numerous insects. The toys are sculpted skilfully using a lathe to bring out toys, that are polished, cheerful and completely safe to play with.

For this art installation concept, we focused our process around closely working with visual form of this beautiful craft. Taking inspiration from the round playful wooden toys, we have made an attempt to showcase the the innovation within the craft, combining it with the hope for the modern Andhra Pradesh.

Our concept worked around combining the beautiful Telugu script with the form inspired by the innovative Etikoppaka toys.
Using the word ఆశ (meaning hope) we appreciate the art of the toy making craft, respecting its past and encouraging its future.

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