At the heart of ‘Stone and Metal’ Art Expo are the many rural people in and around Coimbatore. Simple villagers, whose natural creative instincts have been honed to a distinctive artistry. Creating near poetry out of stone and metal, fibre and reed, blending a sense of timelessness with contemporary lifestyle products, ecological sensitivity with abstraction can be challenging and inspirational.
Isha Crafts seems to have captured the essence of this philosophy in its lifestyle accessories and home décor products, garden art, sculptural and traditional art pieces, and in its motifs and design language. And its inspiration? Usha Rao coordinator of Isha Craft and the ‘Stone and Metal Art Expo,’ says: “In the use of base metal elements such as brass and copper, the all pervading snake motif, the presence of the lotus, the Dhyanalinga temple was the inspiration.” It was built by Isha Ashram meditators and local artisans, the distilled essence of yogic sciences – the first of its kind to be consecrated and presented to the world.
Visualise a tiny perfectly etched copper leaf sitting on your table top and stopping paper from flying off, or brass ‘tamboolam’ plates balanced over tripod tables, full of auspicious flowers and kumkum. Whether it is a beautifully crafted fish shaped ‘dhoop’ container or an ethereal banana fibre screen woven on fabricated steel frames to create a floating textured look, the uniquely handcrafted products give the Art Expo a special flavour and edge.
On display are a spectacular line of stone urlis, masks, metal art and twisted metal pieces falling in uneven lines. The granite urlis in triangular and circular shapes feature a scattering of sculpted lotus or champak flowers, exquisitely etched trees or snake like configurations, such as semi-precious stones or metal work.
Perfect details
The urlis come in many sizes, with perfection in detailing. The masks too catch the eye with their compelling elongated human faces.
Metal art forms dominate. They include small wall hangings with auspicious motifs and spectacular wall hangings featuring abstract lotus forms in copper. Lotus buds embellish beaten copper plates, their frames surrounded by an aura of snake-like waves. The other copper and brass works range from lamps and pots to enormous 6-feet high room dividers covered entirely with beaten brass sheets, sporting the leaf motif.
Creative work done on unusual medium can be seen in products such as the stitched ‘panchakaccham’ salwars for men and women, bamboo in cotton kurtas and the antique ‘burnt look’ given to kalamkari angrakhas.
The Art Expo, which is on view at Sambhavi Boutique, ‘Isha Life’, Old no -50, New no.- 117 , Luz Church Road, near Nageswara Rao Park, Mylapore, will end on July 29.
