HYDERABAD: Making toys out of clay was everyone’s favourite pastime in childhood. But it would either turn out to be deformed or would break easily. G Ramakrishna Rao, a senior terracotta artist in the city is conducting a workshop where childhood fascination will get a chance to relive, but in a more formal way. In the two-day workshop, the participants will get to learn about the types of clays – red and white – and how to handle them. They will also be taught to give shapes to the clay and the technique of baking it. “Artisans do know about the art but I wanted to make the non-artisans aware of it and develop interest in this. That is why I decided to conduct a workshop,” he says.
Terracotta making comes with its share of challenges. Mentioning one while working with terracotta, Ramakrishna, who has been in the industry since 30 years, says the finished product has to be heated at 600 degrees for red clay and 1,200-1,300 degrees for white clay. If this goes wrong then cracks will start appearing on it.”Along with learning terracotta, one would also get to learn pottery, which will be guided by Shyam Rao Thakre, who has come all the way from Gramodya Sangh, Bhadravati, in Maharashtra to teach the art to the participants. “Though perfecting the art would take time, we will just inform the participants about the techniques of the art and about the clay.”
A few eminent artists will also talk on their experience on clay.