Anthropomorphic pottery with made-up histories
Ceramics
This was a course project for a two week long elective on anthropomorphism, expressed in clay. The course was taught by Shirley Bhatnagar and Sekhar Mukherji. We studied anthropomorphic traditions in the art of different cultures, with an especial focus on Indian folk and tribal art. The eyes of the water vessel above are inspired by the eyes on Jatra masks from Odisha. Studies of folk art and embroidery and applique work were also executed using terracotta water and ink. We went to Poshina to examine the unique terracotta horses made by the Garasia tribe.
I had a wonderful time playing with clay, creating these vessels, and making up stories for them. As you can see, I was heavily influenced by the richness and abstraction of Indian folk art.
Foot of Bhalunath
Date: c.a. 400-200 BCE
Culture: North Indian
Region: Chamba (India)
Material: Terracotta
Technique: Coiling and slab
Bears were once worshipped and raised by the Mandadiya community in the hills of Chamba (present-day Uttarakhand). Bhalunath is believed to have been the pet bear of Uttam, the erstwhile Mandadiya chief.
The bearclaw was probably once placed on a ledge behind a waterfall as a practical joke upon the unsuspecting.
Tapaknaak Water Jug
Date: ca. 700-900 CE
Culture: Indic
Region: Madhya Pradesh (India)
Material: Terracotta
Technique: Wheel and slab
Tapaknaak was a mythological demon. He was cursed by the bad-tempered sage Gaurav – whose meditation was disturbed by Tapaknaak's loud sneezes – to have a perpetual cold. This made the demon a figure of fun for the people of central India.
It is said that he could never afterward effectively plunder and loot villages because he was always pausing to blow his nose.
My Eyes are Up Here
Contemporary
Concept for terracotta vase/water vessel
Terracotta water and ink on paper.
Explorations, ideas, and documentation from a visit to the Shreyas Museum in Ahmedabad and the Poshina trip are included in the gallery below.
