Small joys for your home

At Miroi, Socorro, Aaina Singh crafts not just objects, but moments of quiet happiness. NT BUZZ learn more

KALYANI JHA | NT BUZZ

From designing websites and mobile apps in Gurugram, Aaina Singh’s life took an unexpected yet deeply fulfilling turn when she moved to Goa. Like many from northern India, she found herself breathing easier in the laid-back coastal air. But more than just a change of pace, the move opened up a new creative landscape—one that went beyond screens.

Miroi, her studio in Aradi-Socorro, was born in 2023 after a period of self-exploration—an attempt to understand what truly brought her peace. That journey began modestly, with pottery as a hobby. While she taught herself to make the small miniature pieces, pottery techniques like hand-building and wheel throwing were picked up at Mud Skippers Studio in Ucassaim.

“Pottery then was just a way to de-stress. After sometime I was asked by some friends here to run a workshop in Candolim, given the skill I had in designing along with pottery. I realised that I have a knack for it. So instead of designing digital experiences, I decided to start designing physical experiences,” she says.

At Miroi, Aaina not just creates miniature art objects and functional home decor but also curates tactile, immersive experiences. Her workshops bring together clay work and cyanotype printing—an old photographic process often described as “painting with sunlight.” Alongside these, she uses her creative skills to design personalised items with stoneware and terracotta clay.

Nature plays a quiet but powerful role in her work. “A lot of my art is derived from nature. Trees, fish or textures of nature like impressions of flowers and leaves can be found in most of my works. The main goal has always been to step out of the chaos and enjoy some peace,” she says.

Her best selling product is her tiny sculpture which she calls ‘Miroicls’. “They are creatures of my imagination which are sort of protectors of the universe. They are inspired by botanical forms too,” she explains.

While Miroi reflects her artistic pursuits, Aaina hasn’t entirely left behind her design roots. She continues working in UI/UX with a small design studio in Goa, alongside freelancing. “It’s a very small design studio. I still love the work. It was the corporate culture which I wanted to escape,” she says.

Her approach to the scale of items she makes is deliberate and mindful. She doesn’t take bulk orders. “Mine is a small home studio. I can take up orders for upto perhaps 10-15 pieces. But if you’re talking about 1,500 objects, I’m not there yet,” she says, adding that even if she reaches that capacity, she may choose not to pursue it—just to preserve the intimacy of her work.

For Aaina, Miroi isn’t driven purely by commerce. It is, at its core, a personal practice. “Most of the products I make are for my own happiness and not merely for business. But if somebody likes an object and they want to customise that a little bit I can do that,” she says.

Her background in design continues to inform her artistic process. Understanding user needs, she approaches each piece as a solution. “If somebody is looking for something for their washroom or side table, I can offer something with little bit details of what they like or want. I love doing one-off pieces,” she says. “No one else will have that piece. That uniqueness always stays.”