“Spiritual Expressions in Clay” -------------------------------------------------Ushmita Sahu reviews “Terracotta” A book on the sculptures of
Himmat Shah
A long and prolific oeuvre spanning almost eight decades, marks the career of sculptor Himmat Shah. His mastery over technique and form brings to Shah’s works a unique balance between materiality and mysticism “Terracotta” a publication of his works in the eponymous medium, is an exhaustive collection of his métier. This is a limited edition book of 1000 copies, each having a terracotta disk individually signed by the artist himself, making each book unique and a collector’s item. The book has 288 pages and a size of 12.75 x 12.75 inches and is priced at Rs 20,000/-.
The book opens straight away with plates of Shah’s terracotta sculptures. There is neither introduction nor any details telling us the intent or content behind each stunning piece, which could be colossal or a miniature for all we know. Having become so accustomed to words accompanying our images; almost crutch like, helping us along to make sense of what we “See”, that here there is a distinct feeling of discomfort, disorientation almost when confronted by page after page of beautifully photographed pieces which are left to speak their own unique language.
It takes some time to settle into the silence of this book freed from the crowding of thoughts and voices telling us how to look, what to feel. It makes us delve into our minds for the answers to questions which must inevitably arise. “Spiritual Expressions in Clay” is how Himmat Shah describes his terracotta sculptures. And once we leave behind our preconceived notions it becomes easy to realise the metaphysical spirit which throbs and hums, with each turn of the recto.
These withered, crumbling sculptures would feel right at home on an excavation site, something touched by our ancestors; the cracked surfaces peeling away as if ravaged by time. These fantastic heads and strange gilded objects- are these throwbacks of some long lost civilization? Himmat was born in Lothal, one of the most prominent cities of the ancient Indus valley civilization. And it is as if each piece was conceived of and created as homage. As Alex Haley puts it so succinctly in his book Roots “In all of us there is a hunger, marrow deep, to know our heritage - to know who we are and where we came from. Without this enriching knowledge, there is a hollow yearning. No matter what our attainments in life, there is still a vacuum, an emptiness and the most disquieting loneliness.”
This aura of stoicism permeates the skin of each work. Gloriously detailed photographs invite you to touch them, and a surprise awaits those who do. Scattered throughout the book, many of the images have a special textural imprint. Braille like, it “reads” the texture of the sculpture and adds to the illusion of feeling the real surface of the sculpture.
The artist told me that he has used some of the old images and negatives even though inconsistent in quality. But it is not noticeable at all. The book boasts of photographs taken by stalwarts such as Raghu Rai, Jyoti Bhatt, Raghav Kaneria, Devraj Dakoji among others. Designed by Appropriate Designs, Jaipur, “Terracotta” has brilliant publication values in terms of design aesthetics and print quality. It should prove to be an excellent addition to any book collection.