Devilal Patidar
Devilal Patidar is a renowned artist, sculptor, and ceramist celebrated for his significant contributions to the Indian arts scene. He has served as the Head of the Graphics and Ceramics Department at Bharat Bhawan in Bhopal. His artistic journey began at Indore Fine Arts College, where he earned a Diploma in Fine Arts. He then joined the core team at Bharat Bhavan, focusing on documenting tribal art, which allowed him to explore and preserve India's rich cultural heritage. In 2003, he was recognized as one of the 100 ceramic artists worldwide in a book by art critic Paul Mathieu, published in Canada and distributed in the USA, Germany, and the UK.
Internationally, Patidar's work has gained significant acclaim, with his art showcased in several prestigious exhibitions. Notably, he participated in the New Wave Festival in Melbourne, Australia, the 'Bilkool' exhibition of contemporary Indian art in 2000, and the ARGILLA International Biennale of Ceramics in Italy in 2016. His involvement in the International Ceramics Festival in Zagreb, Croatia the same year, and the International Ceramic Camp organized by Lalit Kala Akademy in New Delhi in 2001, highlight his global influence. Moreover, his contribution to the International Ceramic Exhibition for Earthquake Victims further underscores his international standing.
Beyond exhibitions, Patidar has made substantial contributions to the art community, notably establishing the first Terracotta a Garden in collaboration with traditional craftsmen at the North Zone Cultural Center in Allahabad in 2000. This project successfully merged modern art with traditional craftsmanship. Additionally, he has led numerous national workshops at Bharat Bhavan in Bhopal, fostering the growth of emerging artists and ensuring the continuity of artistic traditions. His efforts have had a profound impact on the promotion and preservation of Indian art and ceramics.
About Artist
In Indian cultural tradition, creation is seen as the result of the dynamic interplay between Purusha (the masculine principle) and Prakriti (the feminine aspect of nature). Both animate and inanimate objects are considered to be sentient, a prey to desire and aspiring for eternal liberation from the cycle of creation.
In Indian temple sculpture the Lord of Creation is represented as Ardhnarishwar - the right half of the icon is male in the most virile aspect while the left half is female in a bewitching feminine aspect. I am, therefore, not a maverick when I wish my work to proximate nature or when I try to humanise an inanimate artefact of man and seek to imbue it with primordial emotions.
My lantern work series is not content with emitting light. It burns with desire and seeks fulfilment in perpetuating light even after it has spent itself. Similarly, my work explores the intensity of desire, to discover the compelling mutual attraction which draws man and woman together and to capture that elemental, fleeting moment when they merge to become a single indivisible entity. The moment of creation is so elemental and evanescent that it defies being captured visually; it can only be felt. Therefore, in my effort to recreate that ecstatic moment, I had perforce to resort to tangible human forms.