Good old terracotta: Bengaluru artist's poetry in pottery

The pottery collection draws inspiration from Rumi and Lord Buddha

Art knows no bounds and this artist from Bengaluru only knows this too well. Shilpy Gupta, a potter and artist, blends the magic of poetry into pottery when she creates masterpieces on clay for her brainchild -- Ceramic Trail. Inspired by the world of poetry, the artist has taken pottery to an all new exciting level and is all set to hold her first-ever solo exhibition in Bengaluru.

Beyond the limits of the wheel

Her latest collection draws inspiration from Rumi and Lord Buddha. The 'Poetry on pottery' concept was conceived in an attempt to take pottery beyond the limits of the wheel. Creating the pieces is a challenge in itself but what makes it unique is the small couplet or messages with each piece that describe the philosophy behind it.

Creating magic

With 15 years of experience behind the pottery wheel, Shilpy creates magic in clay and the teachings of Rumi and Buddha add life to the same. The colours are representative of the deep thought hidden in mere words.

Passion turns to profession

Always fascinated by the art of Pottery, Shilpy managed to learn the trade at a studio in the United States of America but shifted base to India to explore and expand her passion into a profession.

Each stroke with precision

Each piece of Poetry on pottery begins on the potters' wheel where she creates a first in platter, round, oval or square. The piece is then left to air dry for a few days. The brush-work comes next where each stroke is made with precision and there is no room for mistakes because the heat inside the kiln will bring out every smudge and every blemish later. Carving is also involved at times.

The glazing process

The colours appear dull and washed initially. The first round of firing in the kiln is the litmus test since pieces may crack or chip off with temperatures soaring to as high as 1200 degrees. After allowing the clay pieces to cool down for close to 6 hours, the artist begins the ‘glazing' process on the pieces. The technique involves great vision and creativity. The second round of firing follows and the final colours can sometimes be more mesmerising than originally imagined.

A huge hit

Shilpy's Rumi-inspired pottery art is a huge hit with her followers. She ensures that each artwork is restricted to just three platters to keep its novelty factor going.