Preserving culture

KOCHI: Terracotta pottery was the first expression of civilisation. From earthen pots to sculptures, it occupies a central position in Indian life and culture. The brainchild of V K Jayan, TerraCrafts is one of the first artistic ventures to provide high-quality terracotta, ceramic and clay work in Kochi.

The base of TerraCrafts is traditional pottery. Kochi native Jayan, who hails from a traditional pottery family, saw his family quitting the business after it hit heavy losses. “They thought pottery could no longer be considered a profitable business,” said Jayan. Passionate about the art, he did not let the changing times affect his passion. To acquire extensive training, Jayan travelled to a training centre - under the Khadi Board - in Thiruvananthapuram where he underwent a three-month-long certificate course. In 1991, Terracrafts was born at a time when the art of pottery was dying a slow death.

Deviating from the common norm of manual wheeling, Jayan discovered the art of ceramic making. Apart from the old manual wheel, he also learned pottery making on the mechanised wheel, a procedure no longer used by contemporary potters.

In 1994, Jayan travelled to Delhi and presented a sculpture of Indira Gandhi to Sonia Gandhi, and it was well appreciated. Achievements followed the artist with him being awarded the Kerala State Award in 2008 for sculpture making. He also got the honourable mention by the Kerala Lalithakala Akademi in 2016. In the Expo 2010 in Shanghai, China, Jayan received special appreciation for his sculpture ‘The Meditation’. TerraCrafts have imbibed terracotta in its art and is its way of expression. The art bears testimony to various ancient traditions which existed across the globe. Artists enjoy enormous freedom in terms of imagination and conception but also preserve the traditional artistic and technical knowledge they inherited.

Popular among the residents of Kochi, people now approach Jayan to teach the art of terracotta wheel work and sculpting. He has participated in several camps and workshops, and has interacted with many artists across the country. The artists at TerraCrafts have stuck to their traditional methods but have made sure to be aware of the changes surrounding them, so they can provide the masses with what they want. “Terracotta, as an art form, is slowly deteriorating in terms of popularity. That’s why I think it’s such a huge achievement that we have managed to stay relevant in the current scenario,” said Jayan. TerraCrafts mainly deals with traders and interior designing professionals. “Now we have 15 employees. All of them are my own students,” he said.

It has, however, not been an easy ride for Jayan, as he did not have the monetary support at the beginning.