Hi, I’m Aparna.
I’m a design educator, visual storyteller and upcycle artist based in Northfleet, Kent. I started Mayadori because of my daughter Maya. Watching her grow has completely reshaped how I see creativity - not as a skill, but as a way of seeing the world that every child is born with.
Maya is my why.
For her first birthday, I didn’t want decorations that meant nothing. So I made everything from scratch - bunting from old clothes, a painted goose from her diaper box, a crown and an appliqué banner from fabric scraps. I even made my own blouse to match her dress. And somewhere in the making of it, everything came full circle. My passion for creating, for teaching art, for sustainability. It all converged into one clear thought: this is what Mayadori needs to be.
Mayadori is named after her. Maya - my daughter, my inspiration, my daily reminder that the best things are made slowly, from what’s already there.
“I bring the structure. You bring the instinct. What we find together is the most creative version of you - a beautiful surprise, even to yourself.”
Guided autonomy.
Give a child the right materials, the right questions, and enough creative freedom - and they will always surprise you. That’s what I teach. I’m just in the room.
The charity
I genuinely believe play is a basic human right for every child. Not a privilege. Not a reward. A right.
That’s why I volunteer with Rock Stone & Pebbles - a charity working to make play accessible to children everywhere, including those who need it most.
Earlier this year I designed a permanent play structure for one of their projects in India. Built from brick, concrete and reclaimed materials, it was designed around one idea I call “pockets of play” - a space where every child finds their own way through, every single time. No two visits the same. No single right way to play.
It’s not that different from what I do in a workshop.
A bit of background
- • Bachelor of Architecture - NIT Raipur, India (2016)
- • Professional Diploma in UX Design - UX Design Institute, Dublin
- • 7+ years teaching art and design to children aged 5–14
- • Mediums: watercolour, acrylic, charcoal, ink, pastels, natural dye, natural inks, mixed media, digital, sewing
- • Enhanced DBS Certified - Child Workforce
- • Founder, Mayadori — upcycle studio, workshops and commissions, Northfleet (2025)