Monday, September 15, 2014

The great pumpkin

The pumpkins that Markandey Jajware from Jharkhand, India uses are not very large. But he has figured out a way to dry them out, carve them, and give them a fine finish. The themes are from his world around him: men, women, gods and goddesses, characters from the great epics Ramayana and Mahabharata, animals and birds.








He would not share the exact process he employs, but he says he dries the pumpkins for almost two years, in the open, back in his village at Deoghar. He keeps a studio office in Delhi, for completing the final finish, and of course as a store for his works.






With both the materials as well as the process being low cost, he was able to keep prices low. Also, the sculptures being made out of pumpkin, were very light. All this, Mr. Jajware explained, helped him get a broad base of clients, which included homes and schools, and not only collectors or museums.




I chanced upon his exhibition during a visit to the Lalit Kala Akademi recently. What I liked most were the male and female figures. As you can see, they all had a great "attitude"!