The solo show by ceramic artist Vinod Daroz gives a glimpse of his inspiration, colourful South Indian temples in different forms

The show is titled Aikyam: Oneness
Vinod Daroz
Vinod Daroz

City-based Kalakriti Art gallery is hosting a solo contemporary ceramic exhibit by artist Vinod Daroz, titled Aikyam: Oneness. The Hyderabad-born and now Baroda-based ceramist is known in the art fraternity for his contemporary take on ceramic art which is inspired by South Indian temples and humble household items like pestle and mortar.


Abstract symbolism
One of Vinod’s series, on display that draws our attention, is inspired by the mythological concept of the churning of the ocean that led to the amrit, and the humble mortar and pestle used in Indian households as a symbol of creation. Another series of installations had cushions in cloud forms to bring out the illusion of softness to the hard surface of the medium. “I am deeply inspired by South Indian temple designs. All my major works have glimpses inspired by the temples. It depicts the patterns from the gopuram, the entrance of the temple. We are not allowed to take pictures in the temple, so I keep the designs in my photographic memory and let it out when I work with clay,” shares Vinod. Another set of his works had the subject of butterflies and floral elements deeply ingrained. As symbols of nature, pollination, transformation and cycles of life and death, the abstract symbolism is eminent in the artist’s prior bodies of work. This time, the colourful veneer of the forms injects a new wave of energy into the works.

Colour me blue
Another striking feature in Vinod’s installations 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 am wasting 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 was trained under Jyostna Bhatt, a renowned ceramic artist in the country. Vinod did his post-graduation in sculpture from the Maharaja Sayajirao University in Baroda and then trained in ceramics at Golden Bridge Pottery, Puducherry.
Vinod makes his own clay, glazes and works with a palette of colours. Talking about his style and process of working, Vinod says, “I use both gas kiln and electric kiln, depending on my work. The pottery artworks go through the first firing at a temperature of 1,000 degrees Celsius, then the glaze is applied and the second firing is at about 1,300 degrees Celsius, followed by the third firing after applying the gold, at 800 degrees 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 in a gas kiln. An electric kiln makes things easier a bit in terms of uniform heating but it's expensive.” Born in a family of goldsmiths, he takes his legacy of gold forward by including them in his ceramic work. “I feel incomplete if I don’t use gold in my work. To me, it looks empty. I don’t wear any gold ornaments but using gold, platinum, silver and copper in my work adds to the drama,” says Vinod.
Vinod is gearing up for his show in China which if the covid-19 situation permits will happen soon. He showcased it there a few years ago. “I am very happy to showcase my ceramic works in Shanghai, China. China is known to be the hub of ceramic art in the world, and to showcase there again will be my privilege,” he says. The artist hopes to set up a ceramic studio soon at Baroda and at a later date in Hyderabad too.

The exhibition is on till March 25, 2022. At Kalakriti Art Gallery, Banjara Hills
(11 am to 7 pm).
— reshmichakravorthy@newindianexpress.com
 Twitter: @reshmi190488

Related Stories

No stories found.
Indulgexpress
www.indulgexpress.com