Dying dokra art lives on

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A plethora of emotions and expressions came alive in the sculpted images of Provat Majhi’s dokra exhibition. A specialist in the ancient indigenous Indian art form, this adroit artist’s 21 chiselled specimens drew patrons’ praise and connoisseurs’ gaze at his recent display in Kolkata’s Academy of Fine Arts gallery. Only in his second exhibition, Majhi with his intricate detailing, which is salient to an archetypal dokra composition, stirred up a ripple effect of motion on
the surface.
Titled Life — Locus of Image, Feeling and Emotion, the aesthetic figurines depicting diverse themes like affection, Devi, three generations, mother and child, friendship, search of heart, she, family, nature lover, waiting, sharing emotion, alone, mask, shoal fishes, imaginative touch and infancy were more than mute statuettes with mere caption labels. Shaped in different dimensions, the sizes varied between a range of 5''X4'' to 31''X13''X9''.
“This skilled craft has its best output when pronged with a painstaking passion. You see, the fine linear impression is etched out to its perfection in the dokra style of crafting, more so in bronze sculptures,” reveals the down-to-earth creator, who is also technically trained in his chosen field. An alumnus of the reputed Rabindra Bharati University (West Bengal), Majhi graduated in 1999 armed with a degree in MVA (Master of Visual Arts).
Winning frequent rewards for his stupefying patterns and samples, Majhi was first awarded a certificate of merit in sculpture from his alma mater in 1998. He is also a distinguished member of Calcutta Sculptors Association. Having been showcasing his works since 2005, this low-profile artist has even exhibited his sculpted array at the prestigious Renessa Art Gallery and Karnataka Chitrakala Parisath in Bengaluru as well as Chawla Art Gallery in New Delhi.
Hailing from the Burdwan district of West Bengal, where dokra art found its permanent root of resurgence, Majhi claims to have further developed the craft. “I wanted to have an individualistic idiom of my own,” he explains with reason. “Since childhood, I’ve been witnessing the dominance of dokra. It has a touch of local growth and flavour, which could be upgraded and modernised to suit the contemporary art palette,” he says, vouching for his aim to improvise but not deviate from its true original style.
“It’s a pity that dokra has been diminished to a dying art,” he rues. “This form of art is indeed cost-effective at every step, right from procuring the raw materials to manufacturing the finished products with cheap labour. At a personal level, I try and support my team of regional artisans and a battery of rural craftsmen. However, the fact is, you can’t compare human capital with monetary resources,” he observes. As a pupil, Majhi regrets not having an access to the module of metal casting, as it was not taught in the university. “As a student, I never had a hands-on tryst with the procedure,” he informs. Instead of metal-casting, Majhi dabbled in stone, wood and fibre-glass media to shape up his craft to a proficient precision.
Confessing that the entire process involves quite a cumbersome method to mould clay into jaw-dropping creations, Majhi says philosophically: “Well, people walk myriad miles for a thirst-quenching pitcher of water, and here we are talking about artistic creations, which can only happen if God and Mother Nature answer our desperate call. One has to make that extra effort to get their prayers and wishes granted.”
First a mound of earth, wax and frankincense paste is made and applied over the clay surface. Then with a thread, a filigree of designs is made to leave a lasting impact. Then the clay is burnt on fire and beewaxed. A pot of molten metal is then poured into the clay cast. After drying it in the sun, the mould is broken into pieces and the flawless pristine formation from inside emerges, evoking much delight and amazement to the dazed onlooker. “Traditionally, the Western process of lost-wax is commonly put to use by most artists. But I always prefer to do it in the ancient Indian style,” Majhi says. He has gone one step ahead to polish his creations with a lustrous coating to lend it a glossy shine.
“I am also trying to combine other medium like wood with metal to generate user-friendly items like a table or a mirror frame. Beautiful dokra designs and motifs can be conceived at ease and imprinted upon a blend of fusion. To commercialise the value of art, we require a platform to sell the wares at a handicrafts fair. We have plans to formulate into that direction,” says Majhi.
Having started his work in 2002, this dokra exponent has been ever since deftly toying with his craft at his residential studio. “The bottom line is that for me its an expensive art. Hence, it is practically difficult to impart its exorbitant style in a school, which has worn-out infrastructure and inadequate equipment. In my case, I have to ferry in the wax and frankincense from Kolkata, bearing its transportation charges or freight costs. However, the fuel, wood, coal and metal are thankfully obtained from within Burdwan,” he talks about the inconvenience in educating the masses about this classic art. “You see, dokra is primarily a desi art form, and we should never let it dwindle into decadence for want of conservation. Unfortunately, owing to its onerous physical labour, the next generation never thinks of building careers or chalking out an occupation based on this primitive vocation. As an artist and a stickler for this stylised art, I must recommend dokra’s implementation as a foremost discipline in all artistically inclined academic institutions to propagate its popularity,” he declares assertively.