JOIN USAbout 40 potters from Mumbai, Delhi, Ahmedabad, Bhopal, Kolkata, Chennai, Pune, Puducherry and Bengaluru will come together to showcase their hand-crafted work at the 10-day ‘Potter’s Market’ which will be held at Chitrakala Parishath from August 19 to 28.
Put together by Sampoorn Santhe Nature Bazaar and the Studio Potters’ Market, the market offers enthusiastic potters a platform to not only showcase their work but also interact with potters from across the country. Getting ready for the event, a few of them talked about their work and shared their excitement.
Archana Ramchandra, who has a strong grounding in design, says that she has always looked forward to working on something unique and creative. “Coming from a background in design, I had the opportunity to work with various mediums and techniques. During my final year in college, I worked with ceramics for the very first time and have been working with it since,” she explains. Archana feels clay is not only easy to work with but gives one the freedom to make whatever one wants.
Another artist, Shilpy Gupta, was inspired to create her work titled ‘Ceramic Trail’ by the transformation of clay from mud to being something useful in homes. “I see the creation of each piece as a journey from a form to something that is functional. My work seeks to explore the fluid boundary between functional pottery and art,” explains Shilpy. Everything around her, such as a conversation with a friend, a branch of a tree or sunlight peering in through a window pane, can inspire Shilpy to create something new.
Holding a background in interior design, Nazneen Kharawala took up pottery as a hobby in Mumbai two years ago. She enjoys this work because it gives her the freedom to create something extraordinary using the simplest of designs. “My work consists of functional ware created for regular use. I work with minimal designs with straight lines and simple forms thrown on the wheel. My current range of work is wood-fired items,” she says.
Pottery is serious business for Neha Pullarwar, who has worked towards becoming a potter. A graduate in ceramic from Sir J J School of Arts, Mumbai, Neha went on to learn the advanced techniques in pottery and later built a well-equipped ceramic studio. In Bengaluru for the show, Neha’s work is based on wasp-hive architecture where she creates, preserve and archives the same. “My work is inspired by organic forms and motifs. I love working spontaneously using bold strokes and earthy colours,” she adds.
There are also a few others like Ranjita Bora, a trained chef who spent nine years working in restaurants across Mumbai and the UK before she realised that pottery was her calling. She describes her work as potter as going from being someone who cooked dishes to someone who makes dishes in clay. Aditi Saraogi, another potter, says “My journey from specialising in communication to becoming a potter has been quite interesting. Working with clay is also a mode of communication. I don’t miss a chance to explore different places and situations, various cultures, and take the road less travelled to incorporate what I see around me into my work,” says Aditi, whose work is inspired by nature.
Aruna Uppal, a trained dancer, says that her life has undergone a transformation of sorts after she started working with clay. “What started as a child-like curiosity, a desire to create something nice out of clay, has over a few years, transformed into a passionate act of producing magic at the unassuming potter’s wheel. I create ceramic ware and make sure every piece looks different. Clay has now become my constant companion,” says Aruna.