Lalit Gupta
JAMMU, Apr 6: The three day group exhibition of Terracotta Sculpture pottery, which opened at the Master Sansar Chand Art Gallery, Kala Kendra, here today is a significant event in contemporary visual art scene for being an exclusive expression of the ‘Clay Artists’ of the winter capital.
Inaugurated by Khalid Bashir Ahmed, Secretary, Jammu and Kashmir Academy of Art, Culture and Languages (JKAACL), the exhibition titled as ‘Earthen Exposure’, has on show works created during the week-long ‘Terracotta Sculpture camp’ organized by young and mostly academically trained freelance local sculptors at Blue River Ceramics Studio in collaboration with Vihan Art Foundation from March 9-14, 2013.
Terracotta—the fired clay—medium of traditional neighborhood potter which is gradually slipping into the endangered list, has emerged as one of the favorite choices of new breed of urban studio potters who are elevating this modest craft into an artistic pursuit, at par with painting and sculpture.
The 22 works of ‘Clay Artists of Jammu in show are by Jasleen Singh, Jyoti, Namarata, Naresh, Reecha Gupta, Shobha and Vikas Khajuria, who also co-coordinated the camp.
Mostly in small size, the works with clay employed as an art material just like a painter uses brush and canvas, are an amalgam of conceptual as well as aesthetic expressions of man made and elements of nature. Noteworthy for dexterous handling, effective use of texture and playfulness of forms, the combination of materials that confer a visual novelty is the highlight of works that stand equal in class to the expressions of leading contemporary terracotta sculptors in the country.
Impressed by the quality of artistic expressions on show, Secretary, JKAACL, Khalid Bahsir Ahmad, declared that Academy would hold soon a Terracotta Artist camp in Kashmir.
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