Stoneware” by Adil Writer, premiered at the Crimson Art Resources recently, was unconventional in its designs.
Adil Writer, with a Masters in Architecture from Houston, decided he would not be a suburban architect in the US and returned to Mumbai where he grew up. He worked as an associate with Talati and Panthky after coming to Mumbai. While on a holiday to South India in1995, he picked up an admission form for a friend who wanted to study pottery under Ray Meeker, the founder of Golden Bridge Pottery in Pondicherry. The friend lost interest and Adil decided to enroll and got admission there. He was not interested in becoming a potter but found out soon that this is where he truly belongs.
Always interested in painting, Adil also did murals for clients. With his architectural expertise, Adil created many ‘fun things’, as he prefers to call them. “My work extends to people who are looking for unusual funkiness and for a one of its kind piece,” says this prolific artist. He cannot see himself making 100 identical cups or bowls. The wall plaques, platters, unusual teapots, which he calls “Lambada Pots” __as they seem to be dancing__is truly haúte creation.
‘Stone Ware’ was inspired by Adil’s visit to temples with Deborah Smith and clay artist Sandy Brown. The images include that of ‘trishul’, imposing pillars, stones with graffiti and scripts, the red and white tikka that adorn them. Adil calls it “faith series”.
A piece of rock becomes a roadside shrine when someone puts a tikka or flowers on it. Adil has done lots of scripts like those from Avestha, lyrics by singers like Floyd, Bono, Cohen all on exotic splashes of colour in beige and browns. Changes in colour due to oxidisation and reduction when firing are beyond the artists control, but he finds identity in every piece.
Exhibiting extensively in Delhi, Mumbai, Auroville, US, he has done murals for clients in the city and thinks Bangalore has not completely surrendered to the art of ceramics. Adil’s mentor Ray Meek says, “Adil is paraphrasing the sacred as he takes ‘faith’ seriously. Faith in culture, humanity, life and in the rituals of his art may well be the reservoir for his boundless energies.”
Adil’s work is exhibited at Hatworks Boulevard, Cunningham Road till Oct 15. Contact 25592251
Saturday, October 8, 2005
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