Giving expression to a passion in clay
View(s):By Tharooshie Mahahewage
Ajith Manjula is a young artist who has an unusual talent. His hands can transform a chunk of clay and give it extraordinary shape; curious designs that speak a thousand words. He is a designer by profession and also a freelance artist. His creations are a fusion of both sculpture and pottery, a new different medium. Describing himself as self-taught Ajith says he was helped by the Department of Industries and the National Design Centre. “I have been doing this art form for the past 15 years. I’ve worked with the pottery wheel before and when I went to the University of Visual and Performing Arts and studied sculpture I realised I could use the pottery wheel for my creations. In the university, they make us observe humans and nature. This is not a profession for me. It’s my passion.”
Ajith: Driven by a love to create and teach. Pix by Indika Handuwala
Ajith’s work reflects his desire to experiment. “I do not reproduce what I see and I use the pottery wheel as a tool. I use the shapes I see in nature for my creations. People use art to give a message. I don’t. It doesn’t even show how I feel. My creations are just an artistic expression. A viewer can find a meaning.”
The end product gives no evidence of the raw materials he uses, usually ceramic along with silica, clay etc. It takes him as long as one to one and a half months to finish a piece. “I do everything alone. I buy clay or sometimes I find it myself. I use ceramic because it’s long lasting. Unlike cement, fibreglass or metal it’s also easy to handle and is the best to use in art forms like mine.”
He believes the market is good if one has quality products to offer. “Then your customers will buy no matter how much it costs. I get a lot of encouragement from my supporters. They always say there are only two people in the whole island who do creations like this -Tissa de Alwis and myself. Since the current building style uses a lot of simple shapes and lines and earth colours, my products are in line with it. I don’t use artificial colours or dyes like oxides. I only use natural glaze. So the colours are more earthy and soothing to the eye.”
Ajith has had five exhibitions so far, the most recent last December at ‘Artway’ in Nugegoda and hopes to have another in June. “I’ve won many awards, and in 2011 I won the first place in the Western Province handicraft exhibition as well as the award for best design,” he says.
He is ready to teach enthusiasts. “It’s hard work. One has to perfect patience so it almost becomes a sort of a form of meditation. It’s also a great risk because once you put it in the furnace you don’t know how it will turn out. One crack means you have to discard it. Pottery is a culture in Japan often carried on from generation to generation. It’s not much recognised in our country although now a market is being established. I would like to teach anyone who would like to learn. It’s an art form that needs to be passed on.”
“I don’t work for a big market,” he says.” I have connections with architects who mostly make use of my products in their work. The specialty is that there are no two pieces alike. There’s only one of each because I don’t work with a common structure.” Ajith’s creations are on display at ‘Villa Saffron’ in Battaramulla and ‘Artway’ in Nugegoda.
Ajith Manjula can be contacted on tel: 0718132643.
Follow @timesonlinelk
comments powered by Disqus