If you happen to step into The Cube Gallery in Moira sometime this month, be warned, you may have trouble stepping out. Featuring vibrant coloured pieces to exquisite monochrome figures carefully moulded into intricate patterns inspired by the sea, India's unique folk art, the landscapes of Gujarat and Rajasthan etc, the Ceramic Spectrum 2016, which is on till February 21, is a delight to visit. Indeed, one could stare at the pieces for hours and come away with a sense of happiness.
And creating these delicate pieces is no easy task. “While making a piece you are always thinking of how it is going to survive at different stages of the process- from the making, to the drying, to the firing, to the loading and the packing. This requires knowledge of chemistry because there are a lot of minerals involved and these react with the oxygen, carbon dioxide etc in the kiln, and when it comes out, every firing is a surprise,” states Goa based Sylvia Kerkar, who together with Anjani Khanna has curated this show. “Usually once you get the skill and control of the material, you can for see what is going to happen, but it is very trying. Sometimes as much as 50 percent of what we create can be damaged. But then you get that one piece which is worth it all.”
The exhibition which features the work of 15 ceramic artists from all over India is an introductory show for Goa into contemporary ceramic artworks. “The legitimacy of pottery started off more as a craft oriented functional art for the kitchen and house but in the last 10-15 years, this art has burgeoned and people now do sculptural contemporary work too. I did functional work for about 15-20 years but when I moved to Kodaikanal to help teach Meeker's students I started sculptural work.,” says Amrita Dhawan, who has about 30 years experience and trained under Mansimran and Mary Singh at Delhi Blue Pottery and at Golden Bridge Pottery in Pondicherry ( run by Ray Meeker who is also a part of this exhibition). “Once you have the facility with the material you can use it in different ways be it sculptural, conceptual etc and it becomes more interesting, ” adds Khanna, who owns a studio in Alibagh, Mumbai.
Also, earlier in a lot of places around the world including India, firing was done at low temperatures. "The technique of using wood kilns and firing to high temperatures came from Japan and China and spread after a few westerners went there in the 1920s and learnt this,” explains Kerkar. In India though, there is still a combination of traditional and contemporary ceramic art although it is slowly leaning towards sculptural works, reckons Kerkar.
At the same time, the interest in pursuing ceramic art has also grown tremendously. “When Meeker first started The Golden Bridge, there were very few of us and there were hardly any other places where one could learn. There was only Delhi Blue Pottery and National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad,” says Khanna. Now however, there are more centres and artists are also going abroad, doing residencies and showcasing their work there and this has led to people abroad becoming more aware about India's strong ceramic movement. “When Adil Writer ( also a part of this exhibition) presented his work recently in China, one of the guys came up to him and said that he thought that India only made large horses and elephants!” reveals Khanna. In what is further good news for India, the International Ceramics Association has also chosen five Indian artists recently to be ambassadors of the country in a bid to create an international network between artists from different parts of the world.
But despite this growing recognition, the artists admit that it is still difficult to sell their wares. “We normally show our works in galleries and there are a few collectors of ceramics, but it is not enough. This is why we have been pushing for more shows,” says Khanna. “We also have potters markets where a group of potters themselves come with their work, set up a table and sell. Also, about 42 potters will also be showcasing at the upcoming Kala Ghoda Art Festival.” Other sources of income are architects, boutique hotels and art cafes.
“It would be nice if the state or central government could arrange for grants, help with residencies and in providing opportunities to travel,” states Kerkar, while Khanna is in favour of a provision of starter grants for young artists to set up ceramic studios and also the creation of shared studio spaces. "We need centres where one can work and then showcase their art too and they can use common facilities. Kilns are expensive and you are not going to use these everyday. In all you do about 10-12 firings a year which in all takes up about 30 days in the entire year and the rest of the time the kiln is empty,” she says.
Dhawan further adds that they are also hoping to bring about a change in the way clay is viewed.
“Just as we don't look at what material an artist is using be it paints, bronze or fibre glass, similarly even with ceramics it should not be about the material,” she says. “It should only be about the conceptual idea behind it.”
