He is an electrical and electronics engineer, yet decided to give up his lucrative engineering job to pursue his passion... to take forward the traditional craftsmanship of his forefathers. Stone sculptor Jayant Mahapatra walks the path of his sculptor father, National and Lalit Kala Akademi award winner Somnath Mahapatra, in creating sheer poetry in stone.
Introduced to stone carving from the tender age of 8, Jayant realised his true calling lay in continuing the family profession. “Sculpting flows in my blood”, he smiles. The Shilpagram in Stona 2018 displays not just exquisitely crafted sculptures in the multiple stalls lining the exhibition, but also artisans at work, giving a peek into the way the astonishing pieces of art physically emerge.
Be it an intricately carved masterpiece of sculpture, or quaint pieces of animal life, or artefacts ranging from wine glasses, leaf trays to lamps, fountains, stone seating, Shilpagram abounds in all, the stones used in each as varied as their sculptural extravaganza. Be it Indian jade, sandstone, granite, onyx, pink stone, marble, soapstone or others, the varieties used for the sculptures are stunning, each bringing forth the beauty of the individual natural stone into the sculpting.
The sculptures on display are almost life-like, each captured in motion, be it the buffalo charging ahead or the young lady lovingly nursing her new born, the expressions and emotions frozen on the faces for posterity. Yet others extol the Hindu gods,Radha and Krishna caught in a loving embrace under the magnificent Peepal tree, Nataraja in his cosmic dance, Ganesha choosing to stretch his legs and rest in an Ananthasayanam pose.
While the size of the sculptures can range from pint size to over 3 feet, some of them can be larger than life, extending to 15 feet. “The duration of work for making each sculpture is dependent on both the size as well as the intricacy of sculpting”, says Somnath, pointing that one of his sculptures that extended to 15 feet took him over 8 months to complete.
Concurs sculptor Rajesh Kumar Maharana, displaying his 8-foot exquisitely carved Nataraja, “It took me nearly a year-and-a-half to complete the sculpture.” The Nataraja, carved in raw onyx, displays stunning craftsmanship, the detailing so intense and intricate, to the point of even defining the space between the nails and the skin on the idol’s hand. “The proportions of every detail in the statue, be it the jewellery or the posture, the depiction of the human body to minute element of the nails have to be done with hundred per cent precision”, states Maharana, indicating the magnitude of skill required to create each of these masterpieces. Incidentally, Maharana too took to stone sculpting from a very young age, carrying forward his forefathers’ profession.
A factor that catches attention is the absence of colour in many of the sculptures made from stones such as jade and pink stone. “The original colour and grains become evident only after the stone is treated, a lacquer quoting is given”, explains Somnath.
Stone door
An interesting attraction in Shilpagram is a stone door on display, inviting the visitor to incorporate one in the household. Says Sanjeevi H. of Anna Stones, “This is the first time we have experimented with a stone door. Each door weighs 90 kg and it was a challenge to find hinges which would hold them and facilitate their smooth movement. We managed to find hinges which are capable of taking the weight of 200 kg.”
The doors are made of local granite found in Karnataka and are accompanied by carved stone lintels and columns. Besides the eye catching sculptures, Shilpa Gram has also on display less exotic though equally stunning art pieces such as lava stone holders, ven eer stone art, onyx pots and vases.
NANDHINI SUNDAR
