Fragile design

As an artist, Vinod Daroz likes to explore relevant modern-day art themes through his ceramic works. Coming from a goldsmith’s family, his works also embody the culture, trends and theories surrounding contemporary art practises from South India.

Vinod’s sculptural objects employ texture, shape, and colour with a painterly approach, echoing in his wall pieces and installations. “My father and brother inspired me a lot during my growing years. I would watch them design and create beautiful gold jewellery. At times, I also helped them as a young child and I believe my design sensibilities were inculcated in my early years seeing them at work,” shares Vinod and adds, “But when I showed my interest to learn art, it was my uncle, the well-known artist P.R. Daroz, who told me to study in Baroda since art was still at a nascent stage in Hyderabad back then.”

It was in Baroda that Vinod was first introduced to ceramics and fell in love with it. It has been over seven years since then, and he has been experimenting with the medium continuously. Today, his pieces of art get picked up by corporate giants like the Ambanis, Goenkas and Jindals. Vinod says, “With this medium, there’s no end to the learning process. I discover something new at the kiln each day.”

As an artist, his approach is to showcase the diverse possibilities of ceramic art, which is still largely unfamiliar territory to art patrons. “People have to think beyond crockery and cutlery when they hear about ceramics,” Vinod points out.

Talking about getting the right kind of material and texture for his style of work, Vinod shares, “In other parts of the world, artists can choose from a range of readily available clays but in India we don’t have a good supply chain. So, each artist has to experiment with various colours and clays to get the exact consistency and texture.”

In his recent solo exhibition titled “Papillions” at Gallery Threshold in Delhi, he showcased 14 of his untitled ceramic works, revealing his fascination with feminine forces, the lingam and the yin and yang. He says, “This show is more sculptural. The assemblages are a stylistic and symbolic representation of these key forces and they take the shape of frames, cushions, pipes, spouts and flowering buds that explore sexuality, sensuality and memory.”

He continues, “I try to use my skills to various moulds and folds to suit my artistic expression, which is often spiritual. The temples of South India inspire me, they are very colourful and the craftsmanship is very unique. I remember, during a visit to the temples in Kancheepuram with my family, I was in awe of the colourful gopurams, garbha griha and the murals. Inspired by what I saw, I started working on one of my works titled the ‘Temple series’.

In this exhibition, he has used gold as a material extensively “symbolising the well being of our environment”. “I was always fascinated with gold as a material and wanted to incorporate it in my work. During my visit to Malaysia, I spotted a statue of the Buddha covered in gold leaf and it was an inspiration. I have used 14-carat gold in my sculpture decorating a set of nine bowls, resting on hollow porcelain pillows, hiding within them teapot spouts taking the form of a pair of legs that envelop each other in different positions — an example of sensuality that prevails in many of my other works,” shares Vinod and adds, “Bowls have so many meanings. For me, they refer to something precious, to the female and a mother’s womb.”