What does one do with a ceramic art form? Like ceramist curator, researcher and educator Kristine Menezes says, “The material wraps itself around your core.” Vivanta by Taj – Dwarka, New Delhi can boast of hosting a myriad of magnetising product designs from November 19, 2015 to January 19, 2016. Sure to evoke a longing in the viewer, Vessel Redefined exhibition at Terra Forma, Vivanta By Taj Dwarka (Delhi), brings the best in contemporary ceramic art to a known and established platform, curated by artist Nehal Rachh Nandi. The exhibition celebrates the recent works of artists like Thomas Louis, Deepika Talwar, Veena Chandran & Krishna, Perin Jacob, Nehal Rachh, Mudita Bhandari, Falguni Bhatt, Devyani Smith and Aniruddha Sagar.
Vivanta By Taj, Dwarka
Take a look at Thomas’s work, for instance, where music and art find entity and expression on his “udu” canvas, African inspired and functional. With this, he has managed to deliver percussion through lurid patterns depicting the symphony of each on the udu pots. The ceramic pods by Devyani are a dramatic extension of her subconscious, which has embedded what she grew up seeing and imbibing – pebbles, rocks, natural and man-made graffiti on them. The subtlety of each has cranked out via her chosen medium and one can almost feel the texture and pebble nature slowly creeping inside the mind. Nehal Rachh, fascinated by the warm nature of pots, which contain, preserve and protect what we choose to put in, has played with the unique life-cycle property of the material and put up a visual delight!
If you like earth, gravel and serrated terrain, then consider the works of Mudita and Deepika. Mudita has taken to the human psyche and its complexities and thereafter crafted the same in her cerebral, intellectual forms. Each product is skilfully compartmentalised into chambers that we create in our minds, and don’t miss on spotting a tiny figurine veiled somewhere in there, gliding from one hollow space to another. Deepika’s raw take on earth confronts a reality in dreamlike outlines. She claims that the pots have made themselves in simple modesty, and the smoke fire effect has been an autonomous disposition of the elements of nature. What stands out is the literal silver lining on the pots which, again, was smoke fire effect!
The art of paying optimum consideration to infinite detailing, Perin has mastered the consistency of it. Each product is one of a kind bearing little or no resemblance to another. Veena Chandran, who sees the world in a mish-mash of line, planes and shapes, expresses her most innate thoughts on her exquisite surfaces.
A rather fine collection of selected artefacts, it deserves to earn and attract the attention of all art lovers in Delhi.
