Here’s good news for students aspiring to take up sculpting as a profession. The College of Fine Arts here will offer training in bronze casting from next academic year onwards.
The 125-year-college had stopped coaching in bronze casting some 20 years ago after the retirement of a faculty member concerned. ‘’Bronze casting will be introduced from next June making our institution the only one in the state to offer the facility,’’ said Sculpture Department head Dr S Prasannakumar.
The college has already set up a special studio on a 2,500 square feet space for bronze casting, which will be an optional subject for sculpture students.
The two other options available for the around 40 students in the bachelors and masters programmes of the department are wood and metal.
The department has purchased Rs 3 lakh-worth metal and is busy setting up allied facilities, including a coal-based kiln. ‘’Later, we also wish to switch the kiln to gas or electric mode,’’ Prasannakumar said.
‘’We will offer training in ‘ceramic shell casting’, the most advanced technique in bronze casting which no other college in south India offers at present. For welding, they will have the advanced ‘pig welding’ facility,’’ Prasannakumar said.
The reintroduction of bronze casting facility is expected to boost the academic activities of the college which has some leading sculptors on its alumni roll like Thomas John Kovoor, now serving as the assistant professor at Department of Sculpture, University of Rajasthan.