(measurements 4' 3")
(measurements 5' 3'')
(Dhokra wall hanging)
Making a mound of earth, wax and frankincence paste, Sanjay
applies it over the clay surface. He
draws inspiration from his surroundings. Sita, the village belle carrying a pot
of water in her head, Radhika, the matriarch standing outside her hut with her
child, Tiwari marching to his field with plough in hand or Pintoo and the
village band of musicians are all cast into thin still metal figures. The process
is lengthy but Sanjay is a master at it, he is a dhokra damar tribesman settled
in Burdwan district of West Bengal where dhokra art has found its permanent
root of resurgence. With a thread, he then makes a filigree of designs on his
pasted models and then burns the clay on fire and beewax. A pot of molten metal
(usually brass) is carefully poured by him into the clay cast and left to dry
in the sun. After drying, the mould is broken and flawless metal figurines
which are miniature imitations of his village brethren emerge.
Dhokra is an ancient
art form that can be traced back to the figurines found in the mohenjo-daro
sites of the Indus valley civilization. It has been diminished to a dying art
form but in the villages of Jharkhand, West Bengal and Odisha certain tribes
still practice this classical art. Sanjay Karmakar of Burdwan and Rajkishor
Shou from Odisha are two such artists who have made this traditional Indian style
their livelihood thus adopting the primitive vocation of their ancestors.
Paraja is the first realistic novel I read which describes
the predicament of the tribes of Odisha. It poignantly describes through an
epic tale the slow decline of a tribal patriarch and his family from subsistence
livelihood to bondage to the local money lender. Gopinath Mohanty, a great
Oriya literary figure was a government servant and witnessed the plight of these
tribes first hand and penned it down his book. From having their land taken away by the government to the migratory
lifestyle they have adopted to earn a livelihood...... exploitation at every aspect
of their life as urbanity crept in.That is why it’s a wonder that some tribesmen have
still retained their art and are trying to make a living out of it. Now, we at
Kriya Kalash want to be a part of the resurgence process of dhokra art and
bring a purity of intent to the creative commitment of these rural artists by
exhibiting their works in our blog.
If you would like to
be a part of the process too and show your support by buying their figurines,
kindly contact us on kriyakash@gmail.com (price on request)
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