As one walks pasts the flowy curtains, a woodcut zone awaits art lovers at DHI Art Space at Dharam Karan Road in Ameerpet. A group of young artists, Gayathri, Jagadeesh and Kiran are casually chatting away. In front of them are a bottle of linseed oil, wooden blocks and colours against a background that blares the number Apologise. One can spot Vijay Bagodi, professor of MS University, Baroda sitting with a wooden block and Hyderabad artists Srikanth Kuruva and Sajid Bin Amar sharing nuances of woodcut techniques. While T. Sudhakar Reddy, (retd) professor of AU University watches the proceedings, artist Rajeshwar Rao is busy poring over on an image on the block at his worktable. But the real sight is to see veteran artist Thota Vaikuntam turn a student to learn the basics of woodcut painting!
It is a one-of-its kind week-long woodcut camp at DHI Art Space with a mix of young and senior artists from Baroda and Hyderabad. It is a delectable hub of all things arty and wooden at the camp with the gallery exhibiting artists’ previous works. Besides interactions and observing each other’s style of working, the artists, who are staying on the first floor of the building, also participate in talks and sessions over cups of black coffee and chai . “The unlimited scope of woodcut is at the core of the camp,” informs Bhargavi. “The work is too intricate and the whole process is quite laborious. Most of them do not know about it and artists who know do not practice it. We wanted to bring woodcut and non-woodcut painters under one roof and create a platform for interaction. There are veterans, middle aged and younger artists who share and exchange their ideas and experiences.”
While in Hyderabad Vijay Bagodi was at JNTU, attending a lecture by Tushar Gandhi. The professor says by the end of the session, he knew the theme for his woodcut painting as he shows us a block with Mahatma Gandhi’s image. “Being a small city, Baroda is a great place for artists. One can just call Mani sir (K.G. Subramanyan) or Jairam Patel and they will meet you. The place is buzzing with art,” he smiles as he talks about Baroda.
There is a sense of palpable excitement as artist Rajeshwar Rao walks around with wooden blocks. “It is a new thing and I am learning how it works,” says Vaikuntam with a smile. “Wood is a totally different media and the colours are different. It is good for artists like me as it is a break from the usual and getting to know about textures. I have seen my friends and great masters at work. I have realised it is a very challenging process,” he adds.
As the artists are busy on their worktables, one cannot miss a two-and-half-year old girl running around. Artist Karuna has brought along her little daughter as she participates in the camp. “Wood cut painting is like doing meditation — one goes into a different world of wood and colours. I work on the natural wood and this is compressed wood,” she says while displaying a block. With a laugh she looks at her daughter and adds, “She piles up the dust and makes a rangoli of the chipped out parts.” The camp is also a different experience for artists like Prathap Modi who is used to working on large scale projects. “It is a challenge to work on small wooden blocks and also I like to work alone. This is a new experience as I am trying to mingle with other people,” he says.
Art lovers and budding artists can drop in before February 27 at the Art Space to discover the world of woodcut.
