BHOPAL: For Bhopalites, especially for potter lovers, the five-day ‘6th Potters Market and exhibition’ will open from Thursday at Gauhar Mahal. Studio Potters from all over the country bring their magic in clay here.
Addressing the media persons here on Wednesday at Gauhar Mahal, Sonia Rashid, organiser of the market says, “This year 41 Potters from across the country are participating in the market this year. Out of them 80 per cent are new. Live demonstrations by our skilled and talented traditional potters from Rajasthan will be the highlight of this year’s market. Our very own traditional potter Basant will conduct a fun interaction with clay and wheel work through all the four days.
“There will be Raku and Obvara firings on the 18th, 19th and the 20th.Visitors will witness there pots being put in a small kiln and can take freshly fired pots home. Amitabh Bhatacharaya will be holding short photography workshops during the four days of the market. Presentations by the visiting Potters will be held every morning from 9.30am to 11 here. There will be NGOs showcasing their work and children from Muskaan and Arushi will present short performances of music and dance,” the noted ceramic artist added.
On being asked do you think the market will affect due to demonetisation, Rasid said, “Definitely. It will. That’s why for the first time we are providing facility of debit and credit card for our customer.”
Besides, the five-day market inaugurated with exhibition-cum-sale of three accomplished ceramic potters including Vineet Kacker from Delhi, Shampa Shah, Bhopal and Mudita Bhandari, Indore. Kacker exhibited his 11 stoneware works which price starts from Rs 60,000 to 3.5 lakhs. “My work draws from personal engagement with eastern spiritual though. It references the landscape art and iconography of the high Himalayas as well as built from those references the sacred. It is also based on Buddhist philosophy.”
“I exhibited my 12 stoneware works which are based on nature and tribal rituals. It is a fusion of traditional and modern art. The price ranges from Rs 6,000 to
Rs 30,000,” said Shah.
Artist Mudita Bhandari exhibited her six terracotta work here and it’s cost starts form Rs15,000 to 45,000. “All my works are associated with space. Some are glazed and some are not glazed.”
