The Hindu : New Delhi News : Hand-moulded ceramic reflections of nature

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Apr 04, 2006

New Delhi

New Delhi

Hand-moulded ceramic reflections of nature

Staff Reporter

A studio sculptor who makes her own glazes

SLEEK FOLD: Jyotsna Bhat has been exploring sculptures over the course of her career

NEW DELHI: There is an aesthetic beauty with which Jyotsna Bhatt is able to present naturalistic themes in ceramic. Her minimalism in spite of her attention to detail speaks in every piece of her sculptures. The beauty of her work lies in the fact that it does not confront the viewer. It is not indulgent and does not impose itself upon the viewer, rather it is easily palatable as ceramic reflections of nature.

Ms. Bhatt herself inaugurated her exhibition at Shridharani in Triveni Kala Sangam here on March 26. This is her first solo exhibition in over a year, and the works on display have been sculpted over the past three years. The theme as always is nature, and the sculptures are also on sale.

Trained in sculpture in her hometown Vadodara, she later studied at the Brooklyn Museum Art School in New York. Since 1960 she has participated in over 50 group art exhibitions, held solo exhibitions of her works as well as organised sculpture workshops. She has been teaching at M.S. University in Vadodara and was instrumental in setting up the Ceramics Centre there.

Ms. Bhatt is a studio sculptor who makes her own glazes (paints used on ceramic) and has been doing so from the time she started sculpting. Her fascination with the colour teal finds voice in her works. "In India, due to the poor quality of glazes, studio sculptors need to make their own glazes," says Ms. Bhatt.

Along with blue and green, she uses earthy colours, giving her work a more natural touch. Tubular and rounded, the curves of her sculptures are all hand-moulded and pleasing to the eye.

Another important component in her work is fire. In her mid-60s, Ms. Bhatt's fire shows in her ceramics. Using hand-held blowtorches, she is able to give just the right texture, colour tone, and feel to her work. Her sculptures on tulips are immediately endearing, teal coloured cylinders, which flare into ceramic petals. So too is her work on cats, whose lingering postures are delightful. Ms. Bhatt is able to use colour and form in a way that very few Indian artists are able to. "Fire gives my sculptures the touch that I want. I can mould shapes and give glazes that right tone."

In February this year Ms. Bhatt was in Delhi for the Blue Pottery Workshop held at India Habitat Centre's Visual Arts Gallery. The workshop saw several prominent Indian and international sculptors displaying their work, and culminated in a workshop held for students.

The ten-day exhibition ends on Tuesday and is a visual treat for anyone who appreciates beauty.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

New Delhi

News Update

Stories in this Section