A Land of Silent Echoes is an ongoing series that delves into the profound connection between material, craft, community, identity, place, and... Read More
A Land of Silent Echoes is an ongoing series that delves into the profound connection between material, craft, community, identity, place, and history.
The works in this series transform the map of Pancham Nagar, a place nestled between Sanchi and Khajuraho in central India. Once renowned for its paper board (gatta) factory and the skilled brass/copper utensil-making craft of the Thathera community, this once-thriving town has been abandoned and forgotten for the past 150 years. I, too, remained unaware of this part of my family history until a chance conversation with my grandfather who himself has been a practitioner in the community for decades. As we explored our family's origins and metalworking practices, inspiration seamlessly unfolded. He had witnessed the practice, its progress, and the gradual decline. This revelation prompted me to document the tales and history of this lost tangible cultural heritage, culminating in the creation of sculptures.
In my artwork, the material serves not merely as a formal representation but as a container holding information about the place, culture, and identity. For instance, my community is known as Tamrakar, derived from Tamra (copper) and Kara (one who works with it). Similarly, recognizing people by their profession's material is both strange and interesting. Places, too, gain recognition through well-known objects, communities, materials, or crafts.
Sadly, other stories of Pancham Nagar have faded from people's memories, with only a few recalling tales of the paper factory and the Tamrakar (coppersmith) community. To convey this intricate connection, I've utilized glazed ceramic tiles and brass metal sheets. Indigenous tools and techniques shape the metal, while sandblasting carves the ceramic tiles, eroding the glaze to reveal images of abandoned and broken temples, houses, town walls, forts, and streets. This approach encapsulates the complex history and identity of Pancham Nagar, bringing forth its silent echoes through artistic expression.
