The sixth edition of the Auroville International Potters’ Market happening next week at the Visitor Centre will build on the renaissance that has swept through pottery art.
The event, scheduled from January 26 to 28, is expected to attract about 40 national and international ceramic artists from different States in India and abroad, who will join the artists of Auroville for an exhibition of their work.
As one of the oldest crafts, pottery has been acknowledged by archaeologists as a cornerstone of many ancient cultures. The art blossomed in the ancient Egyptian and Greek worlds, in India’s sacred idols, in Chinese and Japanese fine arts and the Italian Renaissance.
The variety of exhibits on show, ranging from functional tableware to new age collectors’ pieces, will serve to underscore the renaissance that pottery is undergoing as an artistic medium, especially its emergence as a contemporary art where material, craft, earth, science and chemistry meet the creative impulse, according to Auroville Art Service.
Since its inception in 2015 by the iconic Auroville potter Ange Peter, the International Potter’s Market has been among the flagship events in the universal township. Returning after the COVID-19 pandemic-induced gap, the sixth edition of the biennial event will carry forward the tradition of bringing together artists deeply passionate about sharing their creativity and building networks.
The event took inspiration from the pioneering work in the field by Ray Meeker and Deborah Smith who founded the Golden Bridge Pottery in the mid-1970s. The unit has cradled many of the best known ceramic artists not only from Auroville and Puducherry, but from all over India. The duo mentored and deepened the knowledge of aspirants until they could realise their independent artistic expression. “In fact, the renaissance initiated by pioneering artists a couple of decades ago has led to a generation of potters coming into their own and become more confident in an artistic sense,” a spokesperson for AV Art Service said.
Apart from the influencing aspects of pottery art, from techniques such as the anagama (ancient firing kiln) to mixing glazes or a minimalist aesthetic, Auroville has been a lynchpin of the renaissance movement in pottery, facilitating exchanges of ideas and knowledge with international artists and serving as a hub of excellence for furthering the art, the spokesperson said.
Auroville potters also point to the influence of the visit to Golden Bridge Pottery in the 1980s by Gurjaran Singh (Delhi), who raised the stature of pottery as a studio art in the 1950s. In fact, for many contemporary artists, he remains a reference point.
Among Auroville artists, a hands-on approach has defined their engagement with ceramic art — a process of composing from the scratch. Some of them start by making their own clay, building their firing oven or kiln, mixing glazes and adding pigments. The potter’s market affords visitors to experience this complex art first-hand and learn about the process and artistic range.
Apart from the exhibition of works, the potters’ market will also have demonstrations of various aspects of the artistic process, a clay workshop for children and a raffle of works by participating artists. The event could be the ideal setting for anyone looking for a collector’s piece, a precious gift, some special table accents or just high quality everyday tableware. Visitors can also get insights into the know-how from practitioners of an ancient art, meet the artists and also take home some souvenirs of this dynamic studio craft.
Published - January 18, 2023 11:41 pm IST
