We spoke to Faculty member at a prestigious design school, artist and creator Malvika Mahidhar about her favourite stationery memories.
Q. What was your favourite piece of stationery when you were growing up?
A. I think it would have to be this mechanical sharpener my father got for us siblings. We were fascinated by its mechanism and how it turned from a tiny sharpener to a box-sized sharpener. I remember spending many evenings after school sitting with my sibling and sharpening away boxes of colour pencils. More than the sharpener it was the pleasant memories of the bond we shared as siblings and the hours whiled away over that repetitive activity. However, I don’t enjoy the act of sharpening pencils anymore, and maybe that explains why I don’t use a lot of pencils.
Q. What is a piece of stationery you’ve always wanted but never managed to get / buy?
A. There are several, but one would definitely be the entire set of Copic Markers. Every time I look at them I wonder if I should buy one or the entire box. But when I reason it out it seems very indulgent and irrational to buy the entire the box. The other thing I would really like to buy is a good ceramic palette. Like pencils, I am lazy to buy them and currently my canvas doubles up as my palette.
Q. What is the one stationery object that you can’t live without today, and why?
A. When I travel, I always have 3 tiny sketchbooks in my bag or sling bag. One is for noticing and drawing out things and objects I observe, the second is for drawing people in a style that I am comfortable in and the third is to write words and experiment with hand lettering. I must add that the other stationery object that I can’t do without is my black brush pen. No matter what, I need my black brush pen.
Stationery Resources
1. Mechanical Sharpener
Derwent Super Point Mini Manual Helical Desktop Sharpener with Desk Clamp
2. Copic Markers Set
Copic Marker 12-Piece Sketch Basic Set
3. Ceramic Palette
4. Sketch Notebooks
Brustro Artists Wiro Bound Sketchbook, A6 (Small 105 x 148 mm) Size, 116 Pages, 160 GSM (Acid Free)
5. Black Brush Pen
Tombow Fudenosuke Fude Soft and Hard and Twin Tips Brush Pen Set
