Plight of River Ganga in ceramic

He was born in the early 70s in Varanasi. Even as a child the banks of the Ganges always fascinated him. As time passed and the Ganga started to get polluted, this school goer wanted to do something and make the people aware that it was their actions alone that were the root cause. Time passed and the Ganga got only more polluted. It was only when he joined the Banaras College of Art that he found an outlet to express his thoughts. Meet Ajay Mastana, winner of ‘Excellence in Ceramics' 2008.



"After having studied the basic foundation year in the art college, I decided to specialise in ceramics. I found that working with clay offered a challenge. Once I started to work with clay I also found that I could use it as a medium to reach out to people," said Mastana. The passion to save the Ganga is very evident in his voice and his work. His work that was which was on display at India Habitat Centre is the artist's perception as he watches the river flow while he stands at the banks.



So there are pots, plates and musical instruments. While the pots represent purity of thought and action, the plates represent the hospitality the river offers. The musical instruments the culture that was and is still (to a certain extent) a part of the people's lives who live on its banks. "I plan to work my way up. After having depicted the mood of the river at Varanasi and Allahabad, I plan to move up stream - Haridwar. In a way it is like going back to the life source - start from the beginning, just life begins," added Mastana. Though the message would have certainly been lost in the eyes of the viewer, what can't be missed is the sheer beauty of the work. For those who know a little about this art form would know that it is difficult to work with clay. The mud has to be just right, the temperature of the furnace at the optimum level, colours to be mixed properly, if not the end result would be a total waste of the time and effort that has gone into it.



The smooth texture, the line, the colour and sand blasted effect all speak of the effort that has been put into each piece. For a lay person, the attraction would be the distinctive brilliance of each work. The infinity of allusion that is generator from such simple work is stunning.


The author is an entertainment news editor and works for many websites related to event, bollywood, music, movie, concerts and theater. Visit one more interesting article of author: MCKS Superbrain Yoga or visit: http://www.buzzintown.com/bangalore/event_mcks-superbrain-yoga--id_156258.html