Chandigarh
17 October 2024
DIVYA AZAD
Helmed by Raveena Suri, a collection of functional as well as decorative clay forms will be on display as part of the exhibition titled ‘Soulful Festivity’.
Suri’s forms are reminiscent of cast bronze, comprised of the swells and depressions that are more often the purview of metal than clay, and yet her work is distinctly about the evocative manipulation of clay and the fluid nature of glaze. Suri’s sculptures—handbuilt of stoneware coils and wheel-thrown
pieces that she pinches, scrapes, pokes and moulds—are emotive and elegant, achieving
Suri’s goal of expressing herself through clay. Having said that, intent , playfulness and joy are also an important part of her creations. The exploration of innocence is integral in collections such as Dreamweavers, Menagerie and others.
A predominant theme in Suri’s work is “finding beauty in the broken”. Elaborating on this aspect, Suri says, “Potters or ceramicists are part of a community of artists who have conquered the transformation of clay, so much so, that we rarely see the potential of the breakages or accidents that are inevitable in a kiln during the firing process. The finding of beauty in even the broken form is a continuum of the popular forms of art, kintsugi, for example.”
Raveena’s fascination with Japanese pottery also made her learn, and explore the challenging Raku technique. In this technique, glazed ceramics are taken from the kiln while they are still glowing red hot and are then placed in a material that would be able to catch fire, such as sawdust or newspaper. This technique is used to starve the piece of oxygen, which creates a myriad of colors within the glaze. “The end results are definitely worth the pain and effort!” quips Raveena
Starting out as a ceramic artist just a decade ago, Raveena’s signature style is an interesting play of colours, textures, forms and the techniques she employs to achieve these variations.
“The ability to cast, coil, slip, dip, glaze, throw, fire, before something emerges that has the stamp of memory and purpose are journeys that clay affords. It is a deeply personal journey and I’m happy to be telling stories for each piece, ” adds Raveena, who’s Studio Soulmaatee is set to welcome buyers who want to explore functional as well as artisanal pieces as gifts for the season.
Soulful Festivity is an ode to creation and the exhibit opens on October 18 and contines till October 21.
