Employing clay’s malleability and longevity as a form of storytelling, six Goa-based female ceramicists explore the emotions, foibles, hopes and memories that are a part and parcel of the human experience through renderings of their respective journeys in the form of ceramic artworks These artists’ works are being showcased at the ceramics exhibition titled ‘Unearthed’, at the Museum of Goa (MOG), Pilerne. The exhibition is open for public viewing till March 31.
‘Unearthed’ is a collaborative initiative by MOG with Bhoomi Pottery, a pottery equipment agency, encompassing immersive workshops, performances, a panel discussion with the participating ceramicists and pop-ups, which are also taking place during the exhibition.
Drawing similarities between the physical and psychological growth of a human being and the process of moulding clay into its final ceramic form, the ceramic artworks displayed by artists Nimmy Joshi, Khushboo Madnani, Tanushree Singh, Avani Tanya, Ragini Deshpande and Aditi Kashyap reflect their experiences.
‘Unearthed’ also marks “a landmark showcase in MOG’s exhibitory history, as the first all-women art exhibition”, according to Sharada Kerkar, operational head at MOG and co-founder of the Children’s Arts Studio (CAS) located at MOG in Pilerne.
Documentary filmmaker and artist Ragini Deshpande, who conceptualised ‘Unearthed’ out of a necessity to highlight both clay as the medium and women as ceramicists, stated that “women are not given ample time and room to improve their craft as they are expected to carry out duties that fit the patriarchal nature of society.”
Deshpande’s aim was to showcase the creative pursuits of Goa-based women ceramicists and consequently inspire more people to take up the ancient craft. “The ceramics field boasts a good 60 to 70 percent of women, but most professional showcases are held by men. ‘Unearthed’, therefore, is both an unearthing of ceramics’ historical nature and the talent of women ceramicists on a large platform,” she said.
Deshpande’s ceramic creations are a medley of ceramics, crochet, wood and glass, depicting the emotional imprint of memories on the human heart, motivated by the idea that much like clay, “we as human beings came from the earth and will eventually return to it.” Architect-turned-ceramicist Nimmy Joshi’s exhibit titled ‘Ice Age X’, reflects her relationship with Goa as her chosen home, born out of a need to be closer to nature and her encounters with the region’s natural landscape which is currently in a state of flux. “Ceramics, a still medium, offers a way to express my emotions from the moulding process till the end,” said Joshi, who has been finessing her craft for almost a decade.
Founder of the pottery-making, Anjuna-based Studio Klay, Khushboo Madnani’s ceramic creations are akin to an extension of her body, “as the body is said to be made out of the five elements of water, earth, fire, space and air, which is what the process of creating ceramics entails. The organic nature of clay allows for easier self-expression.” According to visual artist Avani Tanya, the process of using her hands to create with clay is cathartic, and her ceramic creations, titled ‘To The Source’ depict “the longevity and inevitability of both ceramics and the flow of a river, and are an ode to fluvial landforms.”
‘Becoming The Banyan’ is artist and astrologer Aditi Kashyap’s ceramic observations of the “simultaneous breakdown of the relationship between humans and nature and a sense of hope that this delicate balance with Mother Nature will eventually be restored” and depicts a chimeric transformation of women into trees and vice versa.
Several workshops, performances, and a panel discussion between the artists are also a part of this exhibition’s goal to bring the millennia-old craft of ceramics to a wider audience. The Museum has also opened its doors to around 500 school students during the exhibition, in order to immersively introduce ceramics as a medium of art to a younger audience. ‘Unearthed’ will conclude with a market to bid adieu to the 16-day-long exhibition, called ‘Clay Bazaar’, which will solely focus on displaying clay and ceramic products from artists and artisans all across Goa.
