Based in Canada, Pooja Pawaskar is the Indian-born artist behind Whirl & Whittle. Crafting wooden and ceramic pieces which celebrate the inherent beauty in each object’s peculiarities, Pooja chooses to embrace blemish in her works and herself in a world which relies heavily on flawlessness and statics. Her work is grounded in the belief that the world around us and the things within it are unique rather than imperfect.
Growing up in a multigenerational home in Mumbai, India, Pawaskar was introduced to woodworking at a young age by her grandfather, a formally trained carpenter and model maker. She spent many of her days observing him make furniture and hand-carved pieces. His love for design and grasp of technique captivated her and bled into her own practice. Driven by a fascination with design and art, Pooja studied architecture at Mumbai University; however, it wasn’t until her final year her passion for building furniture was unearthed. This realization inspired her to shift gears and apply for a furniture design program at the Savannah College of Art and Design. In 2014, she relocated to Savannah, Georgia, USA, to pursue her passion for woodworking and furniture. After the initial cultural shock, Pawaskar recognized that this was what she was waiting for. Surrounded by avant-garde technology and excellent collaborators, she used the following two years learning and exploring her passion for the handmade.
Upon graduating in 2016, Pawaskar began her career as a furniture designer at Stylex Seating in New Jersey—an opportunity that brought her incredible growth but left her craving for handmade pieces. On weekends she would work on honing her woodworking skill at a communal workshop in New York City. In 2019, Pawaskar relocated to Canada and decided to pursue her passion of becoming an artist. In late 2019, she registered her business, and Whirl & Whittle was born.
You can follow along with Pooja on Instagram and her Website.
Episode 267 - Boun Loun
Episode 266 - Rebecca De Groot
Episode 265 - Laura Mays Revisited
Episode 264 - Chelsea Cates
Episode 263 - Mia Anika
Episode 262 - Emily Joyce
Episode 261 - A Hanus of Slightly Acute
Episode 260 - Meera Crow
Episode 259 - Daej Hamilton
Episode 258 - Jenna Pilant
Episode 257 - Lets talk equity in craft
Episode 256 - Ava Foster
Episode 255 - Anne Taggart
Episode 254 - SaraBeth Post
Episode 253 - Dondra of Work Boots and Glasses
Episode 252 - Lee, The Rainbow Carver
Episode 251 - Michaela of My NW Nest
Episode 250 - Sabine Maxine Lopez of "A Tribe Called Queer"
Episode 249 - Carla Mendoza, Untidy Maker
May 5th 2022 - A message from the host
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