Nilambur native Sivaprakash, who excels in miniature pottery, is making waves in art circles with his ‘Kaliman Kolambi’
Published: 20th May 2022 06:48 AM | Last Updated: 20th May 2022 03:14 PM | A+ A A-
KOCHI: The Fragrance of fresh earth wafts around Sivaprakash K, 24. His hands are smooth and subtle as are his well finished decorative earthen pieces. The terracotta artist, who spends most of his time wedging clay and moulding pottery at Kerala Arts and Crafts Village (KACV), Kovalam, is now making waves with his recent innovation — the ‘Kaliman Kolambi’ aka ‘Terracotta Acoustic Amp’.
You may call it an earthen speaker. It certainly seems like a cool, earthy addition to one’s drawing table: a zero-electricity device made of clay to amplify the music beats and riffs pouring out from mobile phones. The earthen speakers, which come in various textures and prints, have become a hit among celebrities like music director M Jayachandran, beams Sivaprakash, who hails from Nilambur.Sivaprakash, who did a professional computer hardware course, says a ‘techie job’ was not his calling. So, after much deliberation, he chose to follow his father Chami’s lineage, his passion — pottery — six years ago.
“It was my elder brother Sivadasan, product designer at Sargaalaya Arts and Craft Village in Kozhikode, who inspired me to take up pottery. During school and college days, I used to help my father in his work, but never thought of a career in pottery,” says Sivaprakash.“But the craft expo of pottery held at the Sargaalaya in 2017 changed my mind. I realised there were infinite possibilities to explore in pottery. Since then, I have been experimenting with the craft and specialising in miniature pottery, which has takers in and outside Kerala.”
Elaborating on ‘Kalman Kolambi’, Sivaprakash says the idea struck him while reading about bamboo speakers. He wanted to replicate the concept in his favourite medium, clay. It was not as simple as it looked, he says. “There was a lot of trial and error involved. The speakers must have the right space inside them to boost the sound,” he explains. “Earthen speakers render a bass sound effect, which enhances the audio. I have also recorded video of making terracotta speakers for aspiring pottery artists.”
Sivaprakash says he is keen to deliver pottery classes. His other creations such as mini versions of cups, plates, jugs, utensils, pots and animals would certainly inspire budding artists. Most of his clients are miniature art collectors. Each piece gets a natural red soil mixture coating before going into the 800-degrees-Celsius kiln.
For miniature pottery, one needs a lot of patience and eye-hand co-ordination, notes Sivaprakash. “Apart from finding them cute, collectors focus on the finish,” he says. “I take at least two hours to complete a piece.” The contours of the miniatures — 3mm to 1cm — are crafted using specially curated tools made of wood and bamboo, adds Sivaprakash, who recently joined hands with Shinuprasad, a sculptor at KACV, to curate freehand miniature figures. So, what is next? “ I want to explore ceramic and paintings on miniature pottery,” says Sivaprakash. “I wish to stick to my roots and take the lineage forward with more innovations.”
Disclaimer : We respect your thoughts and views! But we need to be judicious while moderating your comments. All the comments will be moderated by the newindianexpress.com editorial. Abstain from posting comments that are obscene, defamatory or inflammatory, and do not indulge in personal attacks. Try to avoid outside hyperlinks inside the comment. Help us delete comments that do not follow these guidelines.
The views expressed in comments published on newindianexpress.com are those of the comment writers alone. They do not represent the views or opinions of newindianexpress.com or its staff, nor do they represent the views or opinions of The New Indian Express Group, or any entity of, or affiliated with, The New Indian Express Group. newindianexpress.com reserves the right to take any or all comments down at any time.
Hrithik Roshan, Saif Ali Khan wrap filming for 'Vikram Vedha' Hindi remake
Jama Masjid Shahi Imam distances self from protest over Prophet remarks row, seeks action against violators
Mumbai hard city to live in, take efforts to cut cost of living: Billion dollar startup founders
Prithviraj Sukumaran joins hands with Hombale Films, to act and direct social thriller 'Tyson'
Pune police team visits Delhi to question gangster Bishnoi for leads on Moose Wala murder case accused
Prophet remark fallout: Don't go to TV debates, Muslim personal law board tells Islamic scholars
The Morning Standard | Dinamani | Kannada Prabha | Samakalika Malayalam | Indulgexpress | Edex Live | Cinema Express | Event Xpress
Contact Us | About Us | Careers | Privacy Policy | Search | Terms of Use | Advertise With Us
Home | Nation | World | Cities | Business | Columns | Entertainment | Sport | Magazine | The Sunday Standard