Art Ichol Journal

The Kiln Gods
Aditi’s concept was based on exploration and innovation in the working process.
Fulfilling this brief, the visiting artists were challenged in various ways, but primarily
by working with a different a kind of clay. What would normally have taken a week
to make, took them considerably longer. Furthermore, the glazes and kiln were also
new, but everyone worked with gusto and enthusiasm. Depending upon the soil, clay
from different regions has its own peculiar properties and small differences in this
can change everything for the artist. They had to literally begin from basics, to first
understand the clay they were working with.
elephant by eugenia loginova
When this group landed at Khajuraho they went to see the temples and this visit was
instrumental in the creative process for both Anatolii and Eugenia. Once the potters
arrived in Maihar and had barely settled in, they began exploring the ceramic centre.
Some even got down to work immediately, sitting at the potter’s wheel discussing the
clay and how to work with it. Their hard-work ethic was inspiring. Sandra “approached
the well set-up studio with some hesitation” thinking they had three days to make and
decorate their work but, “No porcelain!” Reclaiming her beginnings as a student back
in the late 1960’s, when she trained with stoneware and learnt to throw on a kick
wheel, she got down to work and three days later, forty-two pots were finished and
decorated for the bisque fire.
Though mostly smeared with clay, they did get out of their aprons once in a while to
visit the Sharda Devi temple and other local sights. It was wonderful to see how these
little things meant so much to them. The afternoon spent at ‘Amariya - The Writers’
Retreat’, lazing in the sun, eating freshly caught and fried fish with chilled beer, was
an instant hit.
The symposium took place at Bharat Bhavan in Bhopal. All the participating potters
made a presentation of their work, including some information about their lives and
where they had come from. In her presentation, Anjani presented her work along with
that of her contemporaries, which enabled the visiting artists to familiarize themselves
with ceramic work in India. Local ceramic artists also attended this symposium and
it was a very interactive session. Later, Mr. Devilal Patidar, Deputy Director of Bharat