Ceramic practices have often been relegated to the periphery of fine art, although the position has shifted in the past two decades within the discourse of contemporary Indian art. Leading up to this point in history, several initiatives, collective movements and individuals have contributed, some of them unnoticed and undocumented within mainstream art history.

The exhibition presents select ceramic objects from a crucial and transitional stage in Indian modern artistic expression (1950s to 70s), following the unique developments connected with the Vitrum Studio in Bombay founded by Polish settlers Simon Lifschutz and his partner Hanna, and across the peninsula, with TACEL (Tamil Nadu Ceramic Limited) and associated initiatives making Art Pottery within the Madras region. The discussions surrounding the two streams of artistic production engage not only with the material exploration by numerous named and unnamed artists, but also the spirit of the times, reflecting socio-cultural and economic shifts in an evolving nation, urbanisation and the rise of the middle class, as well as the democratic overlap of art and utilitarian design aesthetics.

The trajectory of these two spaces of creative endeavour has been different – while one was private, the other was government run and community steered; while one worked with a limited number of artists, the other involved much larger numbers. Yet, their story is entwined through the exploration of the ceramic medium, and the underlying transformation of industrial knowledge for artistic representation.

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Text by Lina Vincent