Twenty seven ceramic artists from 13 countries are participating in a collaborative exhibition titled All That’s Gold Does Glitter on view in Sands China hotel, Macau, till October 9, 2019. Vinod Daroz is the only Indian artist among them. The Hyderabad-born and now Baroda-based ceramist is known in the art fraternity for his contemporary take on ceramic art that has its inspirations from traditional milieu — south Indian temples, for instance.
All That’s Gold Does Glitter is curated by internationally reputed ceramist Caroline Cheng. With gold as the theme, each artist is showcasing three artworks at this exhibition. Vinod’s series, titled Samudra Manthan, draws its inspiration from the mythological concept of the churning of the ocean that led to the amrit (nectar of immortality), and the humble mortar and pestle used in Indian households as a symbol of creation.
Vinod was born in a family of goldsmiths and it was natural for him to use a hint of gold in his ceramics, which he feels caught Caroline Cheng’s eye. He had met the curator during one of his previous exhibitions in China. “When we met at Shanghai airport, we spoke about the similarities between ceramic art in India and China. At that time, I had finished a residency programme in China and had an exhibition,” he says.
A ceramic artwork from the Samudra Manthan series by Vinod Daroz
For the Macau showcase, he designed nearly a dozen pieces, each of them subjected to three stages of firing. Only four survived at the end of the process, from which three were chosen for the Macau showcase.
Vinod uses a gas kiln, since using wood kiln is not environment friendly and unsuitable within city limits. The pottery artworks go through the first firing at a temperature of 1000 degree Celsius, then the glaze is applied and the second firing is at about 1300 degree Celsius, followed by the third firing after applying the gold, at 800 degree celsius. “Smaller pieces survive the intense heat, while the bigger ones tend to break since it’s tough to get a uniform distribution of heat,” he explains. An electric kiln would make things easier, he observes, but adds that it’s an expensive proposition, “Some of the European manufacturers of electric kilns don’t sell their products in India since they cannot provide after sales service.”
The mortar and pestle is a signature motif used by Vinod to create a series of artworks that can be put together as an installation. One of his installations has a permanent display at the entrance of Kalakriti art gallery in Hyderabad, where he will be putting up a solo exhibition this December.
A ceramic artwork installation by Vinod Daroz
Another striking feature is the use of deep blue and blue-green hues. He remembers struggling to get the deep colours in his glaze as an art student in Baroda. “One of my teachers would tell me that I waste a lot of effort and time in trying to get the blue I wanted, for three years. Ultimately when I got it right and displayed my work, she was happy to see the result.” Vinod makes his own glazes and works with a palette of colours.
Though he chose to make Baroda his base after choosing to specialise in ceramic art, he continues to engage with Hyderabad since his parents live here. Vinod did his post-graduation in sculpture from the Maharaja Sayajirao University in Baroda and then trained in ceramics with Ray Meeker and Deborah Smith at Golden Bridge Pottery, Puducherry. He chose Baroda as his base, over Hyderabad, since he felt the city wasn’t yet ready for contemporary ceramic art. However, he hopes to set up a ceramic studio at a later date in Hyderabad.
