Artist Vipul Kumar has cut many more facets into stone by playing with the dichotomy of design. He combines the lines of straight sides against relaxing sinuous curves to recreate a powerful impact of sculpted identities, says Uma Nair
Nourish yourself with grand and austere ideas of beauty that feed the soul… Seek solitude,” the young artist Delacroix counselled himself in 1824. He has inspired a sculptor after more than a century who, tucked away near the Bhaislana mines in Rajasthan near Jaipur, is creating stunning ceramic ware. In the process, Vipul Kumar, one of the greatest students of Balbir Katt, has challenged existing techniques of firing and moulding. And he loves to work in solitude.
His show, that opened at Threshold Gallery, mirrors isolation as the raw material of all art. “Katt Sir told us we must always create works that are original and born of the earth. They are large, so that they create an impact in the mind of the viewer,” says Vipul.
Stoneware
Untitled III is a hybrid creation that attempts to re-examine and reinterpret the genre of still life in the 21st century with particular emphasis on the mechanisms and mixed art categories reflecting changes in our natural environment such as global warming. The delicate intricate modelling of the columns is symbolic of the form becoming a metaphor for the fragility and vulnerability of our natural ecological balance. Since 2014 Vipul has also been developing a new range of porcelain ceramics, focussing on organic vessel forms.
The show unravels like an eclectic selection of ceramic creations of various ages, with an emphasis on form and design, that serve to enhance the shape of the objects. Whether a ceramic piece is hand-built, thrown on a wheel or made from a mould cast construction, the adaptability and versatility of clay allows for a multitude of permutations in the design. The texture and chosen formulations can be the key factor for the choice of form or conversely, the sliver of columns adapted to the resulting form.
Sculptural Contours
The curve of a singular contour line can be solid or slim enough to hold appeal for a particular form without any further embellishments required. If anything, the succinct focus of Vipul’s works contribute to the appeal of the shapes he creates. Complex and definite details also fit more appropriately on to very basic forms like a column or a flat hollow rectangle — sometimes you think of the indigenous and sometimes of the modern but certain styles can even add shape to the form.
Alternating firing temperatures and minerals add depth and highlight aspects and angles within the forms.
Within the sculptural contours, Vipul changes the perspective with a heightened sense of perpetual curvature which leads to the notion of infinity. Within that notion we see that there is a definite dynamic between restraint and overt display.
Vipul plays with the mathematics of the dichotomy of design, he combines the lines of straight sides against relaxing sinuous curves also to recreate a powerful impact of sculpted identities.
Wood firing
Vipul explains his work with a kiln in his studio. “Firing ceramic work in a kiln using wood as fuel can take several hours or many days, depending on the size of the kiln and the desired temperature to be attained. The wood fires usually take five days of continual stoking and the kiln reaches about 1400 degrees C (2500 degrees F). I generally fire at 1350 degrees for high fired porcelain glazes. During the fire, as the wood combusts, it produces fly ash and some volatile salts and minerals, which ultimately fuse with the silica on the surface of the ceramic pieces in the kiln, forming a glaze. The placement of each piece in the kiln determines the effects of the fire on the appearance of the sculptural stoneware or porcelain."
Weathered structures
The weathered, unadorned monolithic structures look like rugged surfaces and they provide an excellent contrast for the language of contemporary pottery. Perhaps this is why Rajeev Sethi, the design genius, used Vipul Kumar to create an epic installation of Mount Meru at a private estate in Ahmedabad.
Vipul’s sculptural stoneware merge numerous design influences, including biomorphic curves, fractured cubist forms, unseen abstractions and rare minimalist forms. He brings organic styles into the mainstream, reflecting the thrust of architectural leanings and modern design concepts which he contemplates while reading Hindi literature.
The inventive styles of stoneware, ranging from the quirky to the sophisticated, have a timeless appeal and spell harmony with contemporary modernism. Due to the precision in craftsmanship, tasteful simplicity and innovation it is the originality of his sensibility and his panache that gives his works an enduring symbolism.
(Show runs at Threshold Gallery till October 20)
