The deft strokes of their chisel held the observant gaze of the students, trying to emulate the masters. “What we learn from the masters reflect in our work at the end of the day,” says R. Lakshmi, a student of Jawaharlal Nehru Architecture and Fine Arts University where the National Sculptor’s Wood Carving camp was inaugurated on Tuesday. The workshop provides for a learning experience for students of the university to catch the nuances of sculpting. The eight-day workshop being conducted by the Lalit Kala Akademi at New Delhi is a part of the national camps in various art forms organised by the body. “We conduct national camps in different disciplines including arts, sculpture, print-making in different parts of the country. The invited artists execute their ideas during the workshop and the final pieces are a property of the Akademi which showcases the work,” says Jaffar Khan, assistant at the Lalit Kala Akademi supervising the workshop.
“Art is reflective of the atmosphere we live in. Disturbed times produce art which conveys the discord within,” says Shabir Mirza, former principal of Institute of Music and Arts at Srinagar, who was one of the artists invited. Retrospecting at the end of the day on the work done or idea shaped is the best way for self-assessment for an artist, advises the sculptor whose work in stone as a medium hads been widely appreciated.
Chosen on their participation in the National Exhibition of Art conducted annually by Lalit Kala Akademi, the presence of 11 maestros ensures an enriching experience for the students. “The way each sculptor holds the chisel is different. Also, the knowledge of combining other medium with wood for sculpting is something to learn,” says P. Shiva Kumar Roy, a final year student of Sculpture.
The workshop will also showcase power-point presentation and slide-shows by the artists on their work. A display of the sculptures completed during the week will be exhibited on the concluding day of the exhibition.