Living Traditions: A Celebration of Indian Women Ceramic Artists

Showcased at India Design ID 2023, this exhibition celebrates unique approaches in ceramics over several generations of practising women artists from across India.

Curated by Farah Siddiqui and Natasha Mehta, Living Traditions celebrates the continuing contribution of practising women ceramic artists living and working in India who are driven by ingenuity and determination. This exhibition focuses on eleven women artists whose visually magnificent, diverse and rich ceramic practices acknowledge and engage with clay traditions yet embody innovative, personal, unique artmaking and conceptual approaches.

RACHANA PARASHAR

Noida-based artist Rachna Parashar showcased two series, the Excavation Series and Anagama Series. The Excavation Series was crafted on a weathered wood pedestal, while the Anagama Series titled Bindu symbolised Devi Shakti and her action in the universe. Another attraction was pieces like Bodhi, which represented a twice-born Brahmin: one with a bodhi pointing up for ego and the other pointing down for humility.

INDRANI SINGH CASSIME

Puducherry-based Indrani is renowned for crafting exquisite pieces with clay. Using clay from a native lake, firing in her Anagama kiln, and glazing with ash from the firewood lends her creations an incomparable rustic and sublime quality. Her expertise lies in infusing beauty into every item while taking advantage of powerful traditional techniques like Anagama kiln firing. Through her studio Phoenix Potteries, she continues to create stunning artwork with Anagama kilns.

SARASWATI

Saraswati is a Puducherry-based Russian artist. At the age of 12, she started taking ceramics classes and had her first solo show by the time she was 20. Moving to Auroville reignited Saraswati’s ceramic art practice, giving life to a unique and whimsical miniature style of art. Her recent works reflect her spontaneous personality, merging architectural themes with organic forms.

ELODIE ALEXANDER

Elodie Alexandre is a French artist based in Andretta who holds a BA and MA in Ceramics from Cardiff Metropolitan University, UK. She has been selected for prestigious events such as the British Ceramics Biennial (2011), the Belgium Biennial of Ceramics (2015) and the Jakarta Contemporary Ceramics Biennale (2016). Additionally, she was chosen to participate in the Indian Ceramics Triennale (2018). Alexandre is also co-founder of Atelier Lãlmitti, a clay centre located in Andretta.

FALGUNI BHATT

Falguni Bhatt, a West Bengal-based sculptor, ceramicist and installation artist originally from Baroda. Her art deconstructs stereotypes of thought and practice, reflecting intense sensitivity to the environment and mind. She crafts handmade techniques and experiments with new concepts – resulting in works based on space, architectural language, organic forms and spontaneity – in 2D, 3D or mixed media with ceramic.

PRIYA SUNDARAVALLI

Priya Sundaravalli is a Puducherry-based ceramic artist whose work combines traditional hand-building techniques with spontaneity and serendipity. Inspired by poetry and everyday life, she creates decorative effects using a variety of techniques. Her pieces celebrate the beauty, abundance, and hope of life, while also reminding us of the poetry found in the simplest things.

KAVITA PANDYA GANGULY

Gujarat-based Kavita Pandya Ganguly is a skilled ceramic artist specialising in the Nerikomi technique. With 27 years of experience, she has established herself as a respected figure in the world of art and design. Kavita’s work combines organic forms with geometric simplicity, resulting in a visual language that exudes a meditative rhythm.

KOPAL SETH

Madhya Pradesh-based artist Ko pal Seth seamlessly blends her rich cultural background with contemporary design to create stunning and emotionally resonant works. Her designs are an intricate tapestry of history and memory, imbued with a deep desire to preserve cultural identity. Her designs, exploring themes of heritage, tradition, and identity, are thought-provoking, captivating, and deeply personal.

VEENA CHANDRAN

Veena Chandran, a Pune-based artist, is driven by her passion for creating a lasting impact through sustainable methods. Nature has always been a prominent source of inspiration for Veena, reflected in her striking creations using clay as her medium of choice. Drawing inspiration from abstracts found in nature, she transforms them into breathtaking art pieces, effortlessly blending her innermost thoughts and desires with her inspiration.

SHWETA MANSINGKA

New Delhi-based ceramic artist Mansingka began her journey with clay in 1989, studying under two Indian art grandmasters. Mansing ka’s unique artistic style features unglazed clay surfaces imprinted by the elements, metallic salts, smoke, and flames. Each artwork undergoes a personalised passage through the fire, resulting in a singular metamorphosis. Her creative process reflects the journey of human life, imbuing each piece with a deeper meaning. Mansingka’s ceramic art continues to inspire and captivate, evoking emotions through its intricate detailing and thought-provoking themes.

REKHA GOYAL

Mumbai-based artist Rekha Goyal is a multidisciplinary creator with over two decades of experience in the arts. With a degree in ceramics from Sir J J School of Art, Mumbai, and a Master’s in Art in Architecture from London, her practice has evolved to encompass site-specific installations, murals, and collaborative projects in the crafts, art therapy, and multi-disci plinary design. Goyal’s work is a testament to her artistic vision, blending traditional techniques with modern sensibilities to create visually stunning and conceptually rich pieces.

Image caption, harmoniously combine two usually distinct indulgences

The link between the two main areas, the one closest to the entryway with the bar counter and lounge and the one at the rear reserved for aesthetic treatments, is a decorative feature with a great scenic impact: a series of deep blue glass portals guides the gaze towards the beauty area, giving the space perspective depth and a theatrical feel. This liminal space also houses the boutique and the facial bar, functions that will cater for a passing public and have faster times than the more complex treatments, as well as delineating the perimeter of the two lounges. “The management of flows and technical spaces,” the architects tell us, “was especially complex. The brief for both Ballard & Fant’s identities were quite specific and binding, so the phases of the choice of space and the layouts of the areas were the most challenging points in the whole project.” cts tell us, “was especially complex. The brief for both Ballard & Fant’s identities were quite specific and binding, so the phases of the choice of space and the layouts of the areas were the most challenging points in the whole project.”The link between the two main areas, the one closest to the entryway with the bar counter and lounge and the one at the rear reserved for aesthetic treatments, is a decorative feature with a great scenic impact: a series of deep blue glass portals guides the gaze towards the beauty area, giving the space perspective depth and a theatrical feel. This liminal space also houses the boutique and the facial bar, functions that will cater for a passing public and have faster times than the more complex treatments, as well as delineating the perimeter of the two lounges. “The management of flows and technical spaces,” the architects tell us, “was especially complex. The brief for both Ballard & Fant’s identities were quite specific and binding, so the phases of the choice of space and the layouts of the areas were the most challenging points in the whole project.” cts tell us, “was especially complex. The brief for both Ballard & Fant’s identities were quite specific and binding, so the phases of the choice of space and the layouts of the areas were the most challenging points in the whole project.”

The choice of materials and finishes was in keeping with this chromatic landscape. “Through the moodboard we visualized the allure of the space,” explains Pennesi. “An interplay of alternations between more or less tactile surface textures, contrasting colors and opaque and translucent finishes that create intriguing peep-through effects.”
This led to the choice of stoneware tiles by Ceramica Sant’Agostino, which deck the floors and bar counter with their dense and uniform speckled pattern and bind together the different areas into which the space is divided, wth laminates from Arpa Industriale and Kaindl, used respectively for the support surfaces and the structures of the bespoke furnishings.
“We chose these materials for both aesthetic and functional reasons. Aesthetic because this type of semi-finished product has color ranges that enabled us to make choices consistent with the palette we created; and practical because they are wearproof materials and ensure easy sanitization. In particular, Fenix, a special laminate we used to coat the counter top, with a surface that has a non-porous outer layer, makes the material easy to clean and suitable for contact with food as well as fingerprint-proof and pleasant to the touch.”
Even the lighting was curated in detail, helping create a pleasant and richly detailed environment. Bellhop cordless table lamps designed by Barber & Osgerby for Flos, illuminate the tables with their discreet light. Suspended above the bar counter is a spectacular suspension composition created with a series of “leaves” in Diphy polycarbonate. Designed by Mirco Crosatto for Stilnovo, it was inspired by a fascinating Japanese plant, whose flowers turn as transparent as crystal in contact with water.

Living Traditions: A Celebration of Indian Women Ceramic Artists

Showcased at India Design ID 2023, this exhibition celebrates unique approaches in ceramics over several generations of practising women artists from across India.

RACHANA PARASHAR

INDRANI SINGH CASSIME

SARASWATI

ELODIE ALEXANDER

FALGUNI BHATT

PRIYA SUNDARAVALLI

KAVITA PANDYA GANGULY

KOPAL SETH

VEENA CHANDRAN

SHWETA MANSINGKA

REKHA GOYAL

Image caption, harmoniously combine two usually distinct indulgences

Image caption, harmoniously combine two usually distinct indulgences

Image caption, harmoniously combine two usually distinct indulgences

Image caption, harmoniously combine two usually distinct indulgences

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