Small ‘house-like’ objects, made of porcelain, screaming minimalism, make one ponder about the things that often go unnoticed and require a certain amount of effort to be discovered.
“Sometimes, without breaking through the shell, one can’t see into the core of things. But once broken, they are no longer the things that you aspired to see,” reads Saraswati Renate’s project proposal of these 10 to 12 compilations of small yet significant objects, titled Anti-gravity; conceptualised by the ceramic artist from Auroville.
Kate Malone, a leading ceramic artist from England, has set up a live studio by recreating her own studio back in England, in Jaipur’s Jawahar Kala Kendra. Rampant with motifs and influences from India, the studio gives a sense of the process in action to the observer who is also encouraged to ask questions to the artist.
Another piece, made with the reject plates of Matrimandir by Priya Sundaravalli, is rampant with intricate details that contribute to the concept of universality. This is nothing but a quick peek into Jawahar Kala Kendra, currently adorned by the ingenious works of 35 ceramic artists from India and 12 international artists, at the country’s first Indian Ceramics Triennale.
When the curators put out an open call for proposals, their only request to the applicants was to think big, and not hold back. “Build, make, create if you want to, we said,” says Madhvi Subrahmanian, renowned artist and one of the members of the curatorial committee. “The triennale was aimed at bringing all of these interesting works together under one roof. Ceramics is not only about pots on pedestals, it is also about the experimental aspect of the material itself, about how people perceive and engage with this material,” adds Madhvi. The curators made a conscious decision to deviate from viewing the artform as inaccessible.
Ceramics has been gaining a lot of practitioners in the last few years, according to Vineet Kacker, the Delhi-based artist who is also a part of the curatorial committee. “It is only when we met with Pooja Sood, Director-General of Jawahar Kala Kendra, that this interest became a possibility,” says Vineet.
Jawahar Kala Kendra, the cultural centre run by the Government of Rajasthan, served as the ideal location for exhibiting works of such scale and tenor. Its refurbished architecture has made it possible for hosting large site-specific installations and performative artworks.
The Pink City served as the ideal location for the triennale, owing to its vibrant history with regard to arts and crafts, specially terracotta. “Terracotta finds usage in multiple parts of this massive State with varied creative representations — be it the paper-thin Kagzi pottery from Alwar, the red-and-white clay articles from Pokhran or the wall decorations from Molela, all part of age-old Rajasthani traditions,” says Pooja, adding that the triennale’s intention is to give the people a taste of ceramics that is global and contemporary.
Blue pottery is another artisanal craft that Jaipur is renowned for. “It was revived by Kripal Singh Shekhawat and the triennale has a separate section dedicated to this artist because we rarely get to see his work otherwise. Even though it is a part of our triennale, it is a separate collateral,” says Madhvi.
So far, the response has been overwhelming from all over the world, according to the curators. In fact, many have come forward to contribute to the event as interns. “They are not artists, they wanted to work and help with the triennale. All at their own expense. This is a very encouraging and stimulating response. The support keeps pouring in,” concludes Madhvi.
The Indian Ceramics Triennale: Breaking Ground will be on till November 18 at Jawahar Kala Kendra, Jaipur. Visit https://indianceramicstriennale.com for more details.
