While a photograph can freeze a fleeting moment in time, 33-year-old Thasvindran Ashokan believes some memories deserve to be held tangibly. Moving beyond two-dimensional prints, the young entrepreneur has introduced lifelike sculptures that replicate the exact facial structures and emotions of everyday individuals.
He vividly recalls the moment a friend approached him with a request to design a small sculpture of his late father.
“Designing someone’s face requires immense precision. Because a tiny mistake or a missing detail can entirely alter the whole appearance, I was a bit hesitant at first,” Mr Thasvindran shared.
Nevertheless, the deep trust his friend placed in him served as a significant source of encouragement. When the friend finally received the sculpture of his late father, his joy was immeasurable.
“The happiness he felt was what truly inspired me to delve deeper into this,” Mr Thasvindran said.
Long before sculpting human figures, Mr Thasvindran began his entrepreneurial journey by crafting miniature Hindu deity idols. His small business, launched last September under the name Thas JSR, is fully supported by his wife, Ms D Umadevi, 33.
While Thas JSR specialises in deity idols, custom human figurines have been created under the brand name Aura JSR since this past May.
Ms Umadevi manages the administrative side of the venture whereas Mr Thasvindran oversees operations and customer service. Through this shared journey, Mr Thasvindran realised that there is a distinct market demand for deity idols.
“Many of my friends and family members mentioned that people are highly particular about the facial features of deity idols. Therefore, I wanted to create proper, high-quality sculptures that bring immediate satisfaction and joy to people the moment they see them,” he explained.
Today, the deity sculptures he designs adorn customers’ vehicles, homes, and office desks. Mr Thasvindran also shared that one customer purchased multiple identical deity idols for a particularly heartwarming reason.
“He used those idols as visual aids to narrate stories from the Mahabharata to his children. When I learned about this, I was amazed to see such a noble purpose behind my creations,” he said.
Beyond human figures and deities, Mr Thasvindran has also sculpted memorials for deceased pets. Like any burgeoning business, the couple faces their share of daily hurdles.
“There are several challenges, including sculptures getting lost in the mail, occasional manufacturing defects, and competition from fellow businesses,” Ms Umadevi noted.
Despite these setbacks, Mr Thasvindran believes that customer retention, rather than just acquiring new clients, is the ultimate sign that they are on the right track.
“Not a single day has gone by without selling at least one sculpture. I consider this a tremendous blessing,” Mr Thasvindran reflected.
Currently juggling their respective full-time jobs alongside raising their child, the couple has no immediate plans to transition this passion project into a full-time venture. Instead, they are focused on long-term growth.
“In the future, we hope to expand the JSR brand by introducing children’s products named after our son,” he shared.
