STAR LINE-UP: (From left) Prithpal Ladi, Alex Mathew, Shyamal Roy, Rimzon, Laxma Gaud, Parth Pratim Deb, Biman Das, Nagji Patel, Rajinder Tiku, Thomas John Kovoor and Daroz at the workshop. Picture by Aranya Sen

A large ceramic factory in a lane in Beleghata had till Thursday turned into a busy workshop of sculptors from all over the country — Shillong Kerala, Jammu, Hyderabad, Jaipur, and, of course, the city. While art camps come a dime a dozen, sculptors’ workshops are still a rarity in this city and the rest of the country.

But as one of the participants, young Thomas John Kovoor, who had helped organise this workshop, said: “Galleries have of late started promoting sculptors.” It took Supriya Banerjee of Galerie 88 one whole year to get all the artists together. Ganesh Pyne and his wife were among the visitors who dropped by.

Sculptors and artists of all ages participated. The two seniors were Nagji Patel and Laxma Gaud, followed by Partha Pratim Deb and Biman Das. A few years younger than him were Gautam Pal, Alex Mathew, Prithpal Ladi, Daroz, Shyamal Roy and Rajinder Tiku. In the 30s age bracket were Thomas John Kovoor and Adip Datta.

Ladi from Shillong liked “commune working” because of the “charged” atmosphere — “like a picnic. The time is short and although you don’t land up producing qualitative work but the atmosphere is what counts”. Here, he created a chunky slab of stone split into two with a Durga-like face on it. It will be cast in bronze.

Daroz appreciated the opportunity to work with artists from different regions. He was busy moulding a face with clay, one of the three he created. Two of them will be cast in bronze, while the third will be in ceramic. “I am working on my warrior series,” said Daroz. Calcutta-based Shyamal Roy created two terracotta pieces. One was a boy holding a face of Durga and the other was a seated beauty.

Rajinder Tiku from Jammu was sticking tiny letters in Devnagari script in clay on the surface of the mound with several tiers he had created. First terracotta. Finally bronze. “The element of sacred has a prevalent influence on me. It has a universal character,” said Tiku. The “deep feeling of loss” at “losing home and hearth and camp life comes into the shapes and forms”.

Stone, granite and marble are the materials Nagji Patel of Baroda usually works with. But for the past two years or so, he has been “seriously” working in bronze. Patel often creates forms similar to agricultural implements and here, he created a common man’s weighing machine that resembled a marine slug.

A tent is a shelter, and Alex Mathew created one with the backs of human beings on it, growing like natural forms. In his second work, a landscape emerges from the form of a shoulder.

The fear of death haunts Kovoor and he created ridged forms resembling fortresses with tiny figures growing around them. A basic circle within a womb-like circle was Rimzon’s creation. A Krishna and a man and a woman in an embrace were Biman Das’s.

Gautam Pal had created “Krishnagar cubist” style forms. The eroticism one associates with Laxma Gaud was absent from his pieces that were decorative. The clay used can be glazed after biscuiting.

Adip Datta, the youngest participant, formed various objects with folds. One mushroom-like shape was interesting. The most inventive was Partha Pratim Deb. Several doll-like forms, a complex armadillo-like creature with human forms on it and another labiate shape were the creations of this protean artist.