Clay’s the way

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Indian ceramic art has come a long way from when it was synonymous with terracotta. Over the past decade, the scenario has been different, with diverse techniques being accepted as an artistic medium. “If you compare it with other art, ceramic art hasn’t become all that popular. But currently, it is the medium that has the most opportunities,” explains Kaveri Bharat, a ceramic artist and teacher.
Currently teaching a short course at the National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad, Kaveri points out that Indian ceramic art has created quite a reputation for itself on the international circuit. “For the first time this year when the National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts (NCECA) had a show in the US. The world is waking up to ceramic art from India. Now, more and more artists are using ceramics for artistic expression,” she says. “I have been working with clay since childhood as my grandfather was a sculptor. So, after school, I knew that I wanted to work with my hands. Clay as a medium excited me,” she adds.
Another ceramic artist, Supriya Menon Mene-ghetti, recently showcased her work at the Clayarch Gimhae Museum in South Korea. Seedpods, a garden-inspired piece, was made of terracotta while Sun to Me was a wall installation of porcelain, stoneware, terracotta, plastic, paint and bamboo. “Korea and Japan have a ceramic art tradition that is 100 years old. It was a pleasure to showcase at the Clayarch Gimhae Museum, which is perhaps the biggest ceramic workspace,” says Supriya. “Ceramic art outside India has always been popular. But this medium hasn’t yet caught on yet here,” she adds.
Ceramic art has seen a fair rise in term of enthusiasts says artist and sculptor Shalini Biswajit, who also heads the Forum Art Gallery. “In fact earlier this year, Forum hosted an event called the Bucket Show, where we had several ceramic artists showcasing their collection. It was outstanding to see the talent and creative instincts that some of these artists possessed. This medium of art is in need of attention and awareness and the only way to do so is to showcase the art at regular intervals,” she says.
Deepika Talwar, who has been working with clay for the past two decades, says that this medium isn’t really looked at as ‘art’. “We don’t have a mindset that looks at ceramic as art. People who haven’t experienced much of the Indian ceramic art tend to think of it as terracotta, something that we’ve used for centuries for cooking pots and vessels. But now, there are different techniques, like glaze, which are becoming very popular,” says Deepika.