BHUBANESWAR: Crystalline glazes are seductive and instantly capture the eye. These glazes have been used in many pieces of art to suggest floating galaxies, frosty windows, rare gemstones, or even flowers. This glaze technique has, of late, caught the attention of artists and art lovers.
To work upon this relatively new concept of ceramic art, 14 artists - all experts - from five states have come together at the regional Lalit Kala Akademi here to participate in a week-long art camp. “The process of creating a crystalline glaze is more involving than working with a regular glaze as it has a tendency to run off the pot and the firing cycle is very dependent on accurate temperature measurements,” said Ramhari Jena, regional secretary (in-charge) of the Akademi. This apart, the camp is a way of facilitating interaction among artists. “Most artists work solo, holed up in their studios and rarely get an opportunity to see the working styles of other artists. An art camp is an opportunity to see creativity unfold in fellow artists and in the process perhaps pick up a few tips,” adds Jena, an artist himself. While the camp was inaugurated by eminent artists D N Rao on January 31, the artists would finish their works by Friday noon which will then be put up for display till January 6.
The participating artists are Anirudha Sagar, Mudita Bhandari, Shamppa Saha, Girija Hemant Waingankar from Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh-based Krishna Soni, Purnima Sawan, Manoj Sharma from Bihar, Abhaya Pandit and Madi Linda from Jharkhand and Shantanu Jena, Krupasindhu Barik, Jayanta Das, Swapan Kumar Jena from Odisha.