Enter the world of ceramic art with this festival in Mumbai

An ode to clay and the vessels that accompany us through every stage of life from refreshing sips of cool water after outdoor play to the soothing comfort of chai on quiet mornings will be celebrated at Kathiwada City House as part of their ongoing Maati Putr Ceramic Festival Paying homage to the significance of clay in our lives the event will feature a storytelling session led by ceramic artist Shampa Shah and a soulful ghatam performance by Sumana ChandrashekharPeople work on clay kulhads at an earlier workshopThe festival which began on October 18 aims to rekindle appreciation for ceramic art ldquoOur aim is to bring about more awareness to ceramic art as a high form of art and we wish to continuously inspire people to see the value and beauty in it We plan to transform the gallery into a theatre with baithakstyle seating for this event creating an atmosphere that brings the essence of traditional gatherings into the heart of the cityrdquo expressed Sangita Kathiwada founder and artistic director of Kathiwada City House The evening will open with an introduction of the artists followed by Shahrsquos storytelling session The Bhopalbased ceramic collector and curator has extensively studied ceramic art travelling to various regions since 1992 collecting instruments and stories of potterrsquos lives She will be sharing these stories of the potters and the types of pottery from the Thar Desert and its surrounding regions Her storytelling will help the audience trace the role of clay in every phase of life from a childrsquos first meal cooked in a new pot to the clay vessel that holds a personrsquos ashesSumana Chandrashekhar and Sangita KathiwadaIn this session Shah will share mythical stories about ancestral potters Siria Devi and Sawla Kumbhar as well as narratives of potters like Lunaram Gopi Bai and Siddharoji from Pokhran and Jaisalmer district respectively whom she met in 1994 ldquoThe session will discuss the techniques of potters from the desert region their stories and perspectives on the changes in the traditionrdquo she elaborated Shah will narrate in a freeflowing style and will use slides to visually illustrate elements within the story A traditional setup of pots including some from Shahrsquos own collection from Jaisalmer will further enhance the experience ldquoPairing these stories with tactile elements like the pots will help listeners feel connected to them and the pottersrdquo she added After the storytelling attendees will enjoy a break with a traditional mahuabased drink made from fermented mahua flowers complemented by artisanal snacksThe food will feature artisanal snacks and a mahuabased drinkThe second segment of the evening will feature a ghatam performance by Sumana Chandrashekhar a musician from Bengaluru with 15 years of experience The ghatam a clay pot with a narrow mouth is considered to be one of the oldest percussion instruments Chandrashekharrsquos performance will weave together sounds of the pot mystical poetry as well as konnakol the vocal percussion language of Carnatic musicShampa ShahldquoI feel that the performance will bring a fresh sonic dimension and allow attendees to interpret the sounds and find a storyline within the beats They will be able to notice the metallic ring of the ghatamrsquos notes as well as explore the variety of sounds created from different parts of the instrumentrdquo she explained In addition to these performances attendees can explore a contemporary art exhibit by Gunjan Arora showcasing textile and mixed media artworksON November 15 630 pm onwardsAT Kathiwada City House 69 West More Apartments B Wing Sir Pochkhanawala Road WorliLOG ON TO bookmyshowinCALL 9372859864COST Rs 1799 onwardsAlso ReadThis farm staycumpottery studio in Titwala offers a creative escape from city life