SULTAN Deepthi Kannam, a Sequim-based dentist turned full-time caregiver, has rekindled her professional passion through an unexpected medium: dental plaster.
After stepping away from clinical dentistry to raise her young child, Kannam began experimenting with painting during her toddler’s quiet hours. What started as a personal hobby has blossomed into a growing art practice, with her textured works now reaching customers across the country.
On a recent Monday, she demonstrated her signature technique, pressing over 250 uniform dollops of Plaster of Paris onto a large canvas with consistent pressure and rhythm. “This is the same material I used daily in dental practice,” she explained. “After a decade of working with it, I’ve developed a deep familiarity, how it sets, how it holds shape, how it responds to touch.”
Her process is methodical. Using a modified formula of the plaster commonly employed in medical and construction settings, she builds layered compositions ranging from clean geometric forms to organic floral motifs. Some designs are meticulously mapped out in advance; others emerge spontaneously. Development of her unique method spanned 18 months and more than three dozen trials.
Kannam earned her dental degree in India in 2017, relocated to the U.S. the following year, and completed all licensing requirements by 2022. At that time, however, she was managing the demands of toddler care and chose to pause her clinical work.
She now channels the fine motor control and spatial awareness developed over years of dental procedures into her artistic output. Her pieces often feature substantial plaster application, left to cure for up to two days before any finishing touches are added. She invites viewers to interact physically with her work, emphasizing the tactile dimension as central to its appeal.
Color integration varies: sometimes pigments are blended into the wet plaster before application, softening as it hardens; other works begin in neutral white and are painted afterward. “It’s both creative and technical,” she noted. “I understand the chemistry, how water ratio affects setting, how thickness influences cracking, and how to avoid structural weaknesses.”
Her primary sales channels include social media and her Etsy storefront, where her gradient-themed pieces have become fan favorites. She now offers them in multiple dimensions and palettes. Her initial sale fetched $20; today, entry-level gradients start at $329, with oversized 4-by-6-foot versions approaching $4,200 with shipping. Collectors who pick up in person save substantially.
Upcoming opportunities to view her work include a pop-up gallery in downtown Seattle this Saturday and a longer exhibition later this fall at the VALA Art Center in Redmond. Pieces remain accessible online at etsy.com/shop/deeptextures.
She applies a heavy layer of plaster to the canvas and allows it to cure for a day or two.