Janhavi Chaudhari-Firke
Can art and Pyromania co-exist? By Tara Ryazansky Photos courtesy of Sachin Choudhary and Pranjali Gajre
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anhavi Chaudhari-Firke is the artist behind @crafteffectnj. Her Instagram page is mesmerizing with hyperlapse videos of her work in progress. In one video she creates an intricate nature inspired pattern. Leaves and flowers swirl together in the design, growing right before the viewer’s eyes. But it isn’t merely a doodle on paper. Janhavi practices pyrography which is the art of controlled wood burning. Janhavi adjusts the heat level and pressure of her tool to create rich textures on the wood. “Different types of wood react differently to heat, and factors such as the 12 • Jersey CITY Magazine ~ FALL | WINTER 2021
type of wood, sap level, and wood grain play a major role in the finished artwork,” Janhavi says. Tiny plumes of smoke rise from the board as she etches her design. The result is beautiful artistic renderings on serving boards and coasters made of woods like acacia, mango, and olive.
Art in her DNA “Growing up, I have always been surrounded by artists and writers, and they inspired me to create,’” Janhavi says, adding that her father attended the prestigious J J Arts School in Mumbai. While he went on to a career in engineering, he always practiced art. Her mother excelled at embroidery and sewing, which she shared with Janhavi and her siblings.
“Me and my sister made sand drawings called Rangoli to decorate our yard during festivals,” Janhavi says. “We also did Henna on our hands during our forming years.” Janhavi moved to New Jersey from India in 2014. “When I came to the United States, these big hobby stores fascinated me,” Janhavi says of the large craft supply stores like Michaels and Hobby Lobby. At the time she was a stay-at-home mom with a young son whom she included in her art projects. “I spent hours in the aisles of those stores exploring different tools and researching their techniques and googling about the usage of those tools.”
