Indian pottery -throw by the same motion and apply the same amount of pressure-

The proposal for the study tour of Indian pottery.

I am currently researching the relationship between the human body and art in the field of craft. In India, there is a tradition of drinking chai in disposable biscuit cups. To accommodate this practice, a large amount of biscuit cups is made every day. The goal of this trip is to observe the production process of chai cups around Kolkata, to gather inspiration and incorporate it into my practice.

In the production of these cups, Indian potters throw them quickly on the wheel, creating approximately three cups per minute. They make cups of a similar size and shape not by using tools to measure, but rather by their hands. They throw by the same motion and apply the same amount of pressure. It is an amazing technique that reveals one of the ways in which the human body and artwork are related in the creation process. Moreover, they use no tools to make the cups’ surface smooth, so their hands mark the surface of each cup. This illustrates another aspect of the relationship between the human body and artwork. This practice is expected to be an important research object.

I have proposed a ten-day journey. While this may seem a bit long for only one city, it is justified by the complexity of the practice. I would like to see the entire process, from the digging up of the clay to the firing of the cups. Chai cups are made of local clay and fired at very low temperatures, a unique and remarkable characteristic.

This trip to the field is expected to give me great inspiration as I explore new relationships between the artist’s body and artwork. I want to find out innovative contact ways with clay through this trip.