‘Niv’: Back to Base

Rahul Modak, Rajan Shripad Fulari & Mr. Mathew

Ambitious people want to fly high in the absolute sky. If one refers sky to ‘art field’ than ambitious people are obviously our roustabout ‘art walkers’. And to set shoulder to wheel of success the walkers tries to grow ‘wings’ over them. These sprouting wings may lead to one’s elevation from their own earth or roots. As the structure of every system let it be social, political, economical, ecological, cultural or creative; is hierarchical which put glamour and influences on its hegemonic front. The conspiracy of contemporary is not any exception of it in terms of art field. Artists are running into a rat race of dithyramb which could tag them onto contemporary notice board.  This mindset is becoming the reason to fetch the western influences; as a method, material and visual approach.  Only few can manage to go back to their roots for exploring the potential of their own palm streaks, instead of scratching them with iron nail. 

In this case, one should appreciate the sweaty strives of artist Rahul Modak, who is working consecutively since last six months in Niv Art Centre’s premises; forming, excogitating and developing his terracottas. Rahul Modak has obtained his educational degrees from Kala Bhawan, Shantiniketan and spent plenty of time there continuing his art practices. Although he has worked in various studios across Baroda, Kolkata, Ahmadabad and Hyderabad but the memories of the time spent at Shantiniketan gives him insight to work in a medium like terracotta. He took two months long workshop with slum children of Niv Vidya Mandir and also with 16 Delhi based veteran women artists named Alka Raghuvanshi, Anupam Sud, Arpana Caur, Durga Kainthola, Ela Gawade, Kanchan Chander, Kavita Nayar, Latika Katt, Nupur Kundu, Pooja Iranna, Seema Kohli, Shivani Aggarwal, Shruti Gupta Chandra, and Vinita Karim besides the solo showcasing of his own works. It reminds me the words of K. G. Subramanian considering ‘local is global’. Here these words are outshined not only in terms of material but in organizational process also, as artist’s own art practices varies touching to indigent children and goes until forefront of modern and contemporary art practitioners.

At the completion, the final outputs are displayed under the title ‘Mysterious Terracotta’ curated by Rajan Sripad Fulari at Niv Art Centre, Neb Sarai, New Delhi. Niv Art Centre is ceaselessly seen active throughout last few years in organizing residencies, workshops, providing studios and gallery space to young artists and ‘celebrating’ Saturdays recently. I have corroborated various epochal efforts of the centre, but making most of them after the openings. Around each visit I confronted to Sanjay, who is a caretaker at Centre and usually tells about the artists, their work process and progress. ‘Niv’ itself a word in Hindi which means the foundation or base, on which any exalted structure, stands.  I am delineating it hereby, because of Centre’s praiseworthy efforts towards going back to the ‘base’ thus initiating the terracotta as a medium in contemporary times. During my each visit, I also felt a homelike comfort at Niv Art Centre than of any glamorous glare which all the commercial galleries carry generally in order to look elite. So, penniless young artists feel these galleries are away from their reach.

Rahul Modak during various processes of Terracotta

Coming back to the terracotta, that is not a new medium but seen almost omitted by the contemporary art world. Terracotta may find a prestigious past in Emperor Qin Shi Huang’s Terracotta army of China (built in 210-209 BC), Terracotta female figurines found in excavation at Mohenjo-Daro (3000-1500BC), The Burney relief ; an outstanding terracotta plaque of ancient Mesopotamia (1950BC), The ancient Greek’s Tanagra figurines and fired terracotta figurines, Pre-colonial west African sculptures, and French sculptor Albert-Ernst Carrier-Belleuse’s terracotta work ‘The Abduction of Hippodameia’  which depicts the Greek mythological scene of a centaur kidnapping Hippodameia on her wedding day. But apart from these historical evidences Terracotta medium has never enjoyed the elevated status like other mediums due to its fragile and delicate nature. The difficulty of medium is with its unpredictable character that usually transforms the dimensions after heating and baking, and could be destroyed through process. Even after safely heating and baking it is difficult to store as art works, which is a necessary process of marketing. Therefore, the art galleries those are major art promoters, don’t want to take the risk. It has also perused more befitting for craft than of any wider artistic platform. Despite of these convictions Niv Art Centre has taken dice having objective of revival the terracotta material; shaking hands with artist Rahul Modak and Curator Rajan Shripad Fulari, is an appreciable attempt. 

Rahul Modak with Children of Niv Vidya Mandir

The displayed works of Rahul Modak includes beam scales and forged iron bags incurring terracotta vegetables and fruits, the reliefs with various patterns, mundane household objects and expressive forms, the terracotta leaves replete into glass frames and dilated onto gallery floor and reticular terracotta bricks carrying the sprouted barleys in mud pots. Artist draws his inspiration from the years he has spent at Shantiniketan and the fascination he has experienced when his father used to come home every day with bag full of vegetables and fruits. Even banal things like an aluminum kettle or teacups in a shanty tea shop hold importance for him. Expressing simple yet the most ‘earthy’ experiences of his life, artist Rahul Modak’s hands shaped terracotta to give images to his memories. Rahul’s belief in words ‘As you mould you will get the desired shape’, that is true both in the case of clay modeling and in life of a child, led him to take initiative to work with school children also. Modak spent his time at Niv Vidya Mandir, Noida introducing, guiding and helping the children over there. And remarkably children has done an excellent job not lesser to experienced artists.

Experienced artists also played and tested their hands with leniency of terracotta. The artists were provides the kneaded clay. Few of veterans like Latika Katt and Gogi Saroj Pal already knew the material and its treatment. But for others like Alka Raghuvanshi, Nupur Kundu, Pooja Iranna who works as a painter rather a sculptor enjoyed terracotta as a medium first time. All of invited women artists created their works according to their existing or known visual languages and styles, like sculptors mostly initiated themselves in sculptural works whereas painters created slab based relief works. Obviously Rahul was there whenever any of among women artists needed him. And after visiting the final outcomes I can say that Rahul Modak has successfully initiated them all into the feel of terracotta, and this statement can be taken in the case of viewers and visitors too. A solo including group efforts is worthy to visit!!

Some views from the Gallery display

Image Courtesy: Niv Art Centre