Meet Shaurya Mehrotra, the Gurugram-based potter with Down Syndrome

He builds platters, cups and bowls in his studio with the help of his mother, Nina Mehrotra

The walls of Banana Studio in Gurugram, Haryana are covered with colourful, abstract artwork. Plates and bowls, also in vibrant shades, created by Shaurya Mehrotra, are neatly stacked on two shelves. The 33-year-old has Down syndrome and his mother, Nina Mehrotra, helps him. “He likes things to be colourful,” she says. Shaurya was diagnosed with the condition when he was six months old. “His doctor said he won’t be able to do anything by himself. I had faith in his abilities. He started painting at a young age and started experimenting with clay when he was 13,” says Nina.