I have received invitation from Blue Pottery Trust Institution in New Delhi. The institution invited me to support their project titled “Exploration of Terracotta”. It is an activity where all fine-artist following Camp and Exhibition program related with creation of art from terracotta. I have created an artwork titled “Against Evil” to be shown in the exhibition.
The artwork told about scene in Ramayana story, where Rahwana was surrounded by monkey soldiers lead by Hanoman.
I have done a research about ceramic history, traditional ceramic, and ceramic technique from their sources to make a journal for workshop which would be held at the event. I also have bought ticket from Jakarta to India in order to join the event. I went to India at February 4th 2009 by flight. There I joined “Exploration of Terracotta” Event which was held by Delhi Blue Pottery Trust. I followed three major programs. They were: Camping, Exhibition, and Workshop. Camping Program was done at Sanskriti Kendra Anandgram Mehrauli Gurgaon Road Ayanagar New Delhi India - 110047. It was held at February 6th to 19th 2009. The museum owed Indoor and Outdoor Exhibition Facility. Ceramic making Studio which is facilitated by manual and machine forming tools, glazed and un-glazed ornamentation tools, wood and gas stove for burning process. The camping participants came from seven countries. They were England, France, German, Australia, Turkey, Indonesia, and certainly India. I was the only participant from Indonesia. In the first day, the participants were asked to make artwork in collaborative way, The object was wall’s relief. I joined participants from India and England, making relief which had special characters of each countries. I presented Balinese dance relief with patch technique and ornamentation with pinching technique; my friend from India presented twist ornament with free form; while my friend from U.K. presented cactus form. The artwork was burned with non-glazed biscuit burning. After that, it was immersed with color glazed, burned with LPG into glazed artwork. The artwork’s figuration needed two days. The next day, the participants form private artwork as the technique interest and skill. Most of the participants presented artwork with throwing technique, while I applied pinching technique so that my artwork had free form. The pinching technique gave me benefit in expressing certain shape by deforming natural form as my own ideas, like animal form and human form. To make this ceramic form, I used a high quality clay from India since the clay could be arranged tall and not change. It contained a high kaolin so that it could be burned in 10000C temperature. It made me able to produce many artworks. Moreover, the conductor gave freedom in expressing idea. What came in my thought, I expressed directly. In this program, I produced many artworks. Some of them were:
Statue themed ‘Rama and Shinta chase future’. I described Rama and Shinta rode a cart pulled by five horses. The artworks formed with pinching technique. Ornamentation was done by antique technique. It was burned by glazed technique.
‘Acrobatic Cat’ statue. I described an acrobatic cat with its rear foot lifted and the front foot clawed. The forming was done by pinching technique. Ornamentation was done by engobe and scratch technique. In the end of making, it was burned by biscuit technique.
The other artwork was statue described a musical player from Indonesia. It was shaped two fat people who laid down and playing a musical tool called ‘rebab’. In the finishing stage, the statue was burned by glazed technique.
Bison head, was a statue I deformed with deformation and ornamenting style. It was formed with pinching technique. Ornamentation was done by engobe, twist, scratch, and hole technique. It was + 50 cm tall. The making was finished by biscuit burning.
Dragon statue. It was + 50 cm tall, formed by pinching technique. Ornamentation was done by engobe, hole, and scratch technique.
In camping program, all my artworks were chosen to be exhibited in exhibition. All of them were sold. It showed a great respond of audiences to my artwork.
I spent my days in camping area, while in Sunday and free hours, I was walk around the historical sites of India to enrich my knowledge about Indian culture. In my exploration around historical sites, I never forgot to use shirt with Prince Claus logo on it which I created by myself. I told people that my participation in the event was supported by Prince Claus Foundation.
Camping was finished with artwork burning by mat glazed and transparent technique fitted with the artwork’s characteristics. In February 19th 2009, my friends and I left the camping area to prepare for exhibition. The camping participants were accommodated in Indian volunteer families. While I stayed in Indonesia Embassy.
The exhibition was done in February 21st to 27th 2009. The free days at February 19th to 20th 2009 were spent to prepare the exhibition displays. It was done at Visual Art Gallery India Habitat Centre Lodhi Road New Delhi India – 110003. Habitat Center is a center of Art event in India, especially for art and paint art. The Habitat Center owed several culture event to maintain and develop art in India, whether in workshop, national or international. Beside, the Habitat Center owed activity to present and maintain India Culture, including fine-art. Related with this, Blue Trust as the holder of “Exploration of Terracotta” event placed Habitat Center as the activity center of exhibition, workshop, and ceramic demonstration in one week Exhibition was followed by + 90 artists from various countries like Turkey, US, Canada, Mexico, German, France, England, New Zeeland, Australia, Pakistan, India and Indonesia (complete lists could be seen in catalogue). Each participants presented four artworks. I had chance to present more than four artworks. My monumental artwork titled: “Against Evil”. It consisted of Rahwana statue which was 70 cm tall, Hanoman which was 30 cm tall and monkey statues in average 17 cm tall which described evil would be vanquished by the truth! This kind of symbolism always happened in human life until now. Human’s anger and evilness would damage himself and other people. The large Rahwana composition form was combined with small monkeys was aesthetic since the large shape composition combined with small shaped turn the form into unique and interesting form. In the creation, the existing form was ‘deformation’ according to my visual language. The statues were made in Indonesia, formed by earthenware and stoneware combination, using antique effect glazed, burned with 12000C temperature. The artwork got the main spot in the middle of the gallery so that it was pulled the audiences attention and interest. The statue showed acculturation of Hindu India culture and Indonesia’s local genius which I found from temples research in Indonesia, and I expressed through my aesthetical language. Since the statue had concept which touched the emotional side of Indian society, this artwork got huge appreciation from the society. They told that the artwork visualized Ramayana fragment from the past through terracotta artwork. In the second day, the artwork was bought by a collector in India. This display also supported by my other artworks from camping program. Along the exhibition, since my forming technique was unique, I was appointed by the committee to hold a demonstration. There I got nickname: ‘Ponimin the magical hand from Indonesia”. Almost everyday I created ceramic artwork which was not burned. Some of my production were frog, dragon, Indonesian female who wearing make up, lion, and many more. The demonstration product was presented in one display.
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