Ever had a look at your tea cup or coffee mug and pondered how this extraneous pot of glazed ceramic is one of the oldest human inventions? Pottery dates back to the Paleolithic, Mesolithic and Neolithic ages when pots, seals, figurines, ornaments and whole towns made of fired bricks were excavated from Harappan sites (2500BC). Later, the Chinese, Mayans, Egyptians, Greeks and other civilisations shaped the history of pottery. In India, we have Jaipur’s Turko-Persian style of blue pottery, Uttar Pradesh’s Khurja pottery, Gujarat’s Khadva and more such sites that still carry on the rich legacy. And if it may interest a mythologist, Hindu mythology refers to Brahma as the creator of the world envisioned as Prajapati, a potter underscoring the centrality of pottery in Indian culture. With industrialization, we see a more sophisticated version of the humble earthen pots in the form of various applications. But seldom do we ruminate over its long unbroken legacy. Bringing the same to the fore, Kalakriti Art Gallery showcases its new exhibition titled A Proverbial Wardrobe which is centered on ceramics. It will feature tile work, sculptures and installations by over 30 national and inter national artistes who will put a spotlight on the applied art form.
The exhibition is in collaboration with Indian Ceramic Art Foundation (ICAF) and marks their first physical show post-countrywide lockdown. We speak to the curator of the exhibition, Ruchi Sharma, who gives us a preview of the show, “From ancient times till today, ceramics has arguably been amongst the few mediums to have persevered through thousands of years, the oldest known ceramic artifact is dated as early as 28,000 BCE during the late Paleolithic period. This persistence has, of course, been met with iterations and evolutions that have allowed it to stay relevant in our contemporary world. However, many traditional techniques have remained the backbone of this craft. With this exhibition, we take a look at the contemporary ceramic artistes who are using ceramics in radical ways.”
Visitors will see the versatility of clay as a medium presented on a unique theme like the wisdom of proverbs. Since they are often borrowed from similar languages and cultures, the artistes will attempt to translate proverbs into visual language. Ruchi tells us, “Each finished sculpture at the display will hold within it stories of its evolution. These art forms have made multidimensional journeys from being plain lumps of clay to being shaped by the artiste’s hands and infused with their ideas.” Even before this show, Kalakriti Art Gallery had a long-standing association with ceramic artistes. In 2022, the gallery represented ceramic artiste Vinod Daroz at India Art Fair and continues to support artistes.
A Proverbial Wardrobe will be on display from March 25. At Kalakriti Art Gallery, Banjara Hills.
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