Six Goa-based women ceramicists are showcasing their artistic prowess to a widespread audience at the ‘Unearthed’ ceramics exhibition at the Museum of Goa, Pilerne, till March 31. The artworks of artists Nimmy Joshi, Khushboo Madnani, Tanushree Singh, Avani Tanya, Ragini Deshpande and Aditi Kashyap reflect the underlying similarities between clay and the human experience and offer an artistic take on an otherwise helpful craft.
A form of human expression since 29,000 BCE, ceramics offers a poignant insight into the civilisations of yore; evolving from ancient pottery, ceramic tiles, sculptures and figurines to contemporary art, ceramics has left an intangible mark on the human race’s progression through the ages.
As an ode to the multifaceted nature of clay and ceramics, six Goa-based women ceramicists showcasing the craft of ceramics in a dynamic artistic avatar in an exhibition titled ‘Unearthed’ at the Goa-based Museum of Goa, located in Pilerne in North Goa. The exhibition is open to the public until March 31. To introduce ceramics as an artistic medium of expression to a broader audience, the exhibition is rooted in the artists’ journeys and similarities to the journey of clay from its moulding process to its final emergence after glazing from the kiln. The works come together in a cohesive homage to the natural world, the organicity of the human body and the power of collective storytelling.
“Ceramics’ potential as a medium of personal expression is the highlight of ‘Unearthed’. As an art form, ceramics is relatable to the public due to the presence of utilitarian pottery in their homes, and Unearthed is simply an extension of this into the realm of the arts,” said Sharada Kerkar, operational head at MOG and co-founder of the Children’s Arts Studio (CAS) located at MOG.
Founded by renowned Indian artist Dr Subodh Kerkar in 2015, the Museum, colloquially known as MOG, is dedicated to exhibiting Goa’s history and people through contemporary art. ‘Histories of Goa’ is a permanent exhibition at the Museum, offering visitors an understanding of Goa’s multi-hued legacy. MOG also hosts temporary exhibitions throughout the year, of which ‘Unearthed’ is the most recent.
A documentary filmmaker by profession, ceramicist Ragini Deshpande conceptualised ‘Unearthed’ to give women ceramicists a platform to showcase their artistry to a broader audience and also “to celebrate in clay the lasting impressions of human expression and civilisation that are unearthed during archaeological excavations.”
‘Verses of the Heart’ is Deshpande’s ceramic tribute to the impermanence of emotions, relationships and life that also melds crochet, wood and glass, celebrating the idea that much like clay comes from the earth and eventually returns to it, so do human beings. Ceramicist Tanushree Singh’s artworks draw parallels with human memory. The way lived experiences shape people is akin to the shapes clay takes as it is moulded, which informed the body of work she created for the exhibition.
“Titled ‘Memory’, my work reflects the commonalities between clay and the human body. They both possess the ability to hold and express memories and be simultaneously vulnerable and resilient. Clay bears witness to the warping of its form at the hands of its maker and bears the mark of its formation. Our bodies and minds also bear traces of our experiences,” said Singh. ‘Ice Age X’ reflects architect-turned-ceramicist Nimmy Joshi’s relationship with Goa as her chosen home, born out of her need to be close to nature and found the perfect expressive outlet through clay.
“Ceramics is a very forgiving medium. You can continue moulding clay till you are satisfied with the outcome, teaching us resilience. It also becomes a cathartic mode of expression as it is extremely versatile and can express anything freely,” said Joshi. Visual artist Avani Tanya’s exhibit titled ‘To The Source’ is an ode to fluvial landforms and highlights the tenacity and durability of clay and a flowing river, with the final artwork capturing the motion of water.
“Clay is a meditative and quiet medium to create with, and my artwork pays tribute to its ability to bring to tangibility imaginary landscapes,” said Tanya. Astrologer and artist Aditi Kashyap’s exhibit titled ‘Becoming The Banyan explores the synchronous breakdown of the relationship between humans and nature and the optimism that the delicate nature between humankind and Mother Nature will be restored.
“My work depicts a chimeric transformation of human bodies into trees, eventually erupting into objects that resemble archaeological artefacts. The aim is to create an alternate history when humans lived harmoniously with nature. The resemblance to archaeological artefacts harks to the fact that I am not the first person to create from clay,” stated Kashyap. Ceramicist Khushboo Madnani compares her ceramic creations to extensions of her body, “as the human body comprises the five natural elements of fire, earth, water, air and space, all involved in creating ceramics. The organic and malleable nature of clay makes it ideal for self-expression.”
The exhibition, supported by the Mumbai-based Bhoomi Pottery, also contains a series of events, including workshops, performances, a panel discussion between the artists on their respective creative processes, culminating with a pop-up on the final day, titled ‘Clay Bazaar’, giving ceramicists across Goa a chance to showcase their ceramic products to a broader audience.
