The resplendent Yogi ...
Yoga is perhaps all about union! The artist has to fuse the mind with the medium in full awareness about what he wants to create. This artefact was created by Mahesh Pungati, an Adivasi boy who joined us as an apprentice 3 years ago and now is a master craftsman!

Yoga is the union of mind and body, of the individual with the universal...
For us it is the union of stone with Brass!

Saraswati, the goddess of wisdom-
Nature is not just a resource material for our consumption, Nature is the very basis of our existence. This has to be ingrained as a value from early childhood and thus connecting with Nature has to be an integral part of our education system. Far too long have we relied on a homocentric syllabus!

Ode to the Bull...

Melting in wax
Hardening in metal
The heart throbbed
With expectations high!
But now in the emptiness
Of the broken mould
It is a silent sigh!

This simple attempt at a rhyme is a way of coming to terms with the loss of 45 days of hard work of the whole team at Devrai! Hopefully the 'silent sigh' will soon start humming a song on its own and surprise us !

This seems like a nightmare come true! Where did all the brass that was poured in gone?

The casting process has been on for more than 24 hours- melting brass and heating the mould simultaneously. The pouring has happened just now! Keeping fingers crossed till we break it open tomorrow!

Today at the 3rd Asian Undergraduate Summit in association with National University of Singapore. The topic for discussion was, 'Leadership in a complex world: Disruptive Change in Everyday Life'
Devrai Art Village conducted a hands on workshop and it was fun to see kids come up with ideas of their own!

Celebrating Nature through art...

Shubheshwar, the artist next to his creation.
Today morning, i found him standing pensive next to Nandi that was cast last night...

The results- although we may have secured only 40% marks, i feel we have as a team come out of this ordeal with flying colours! "Himmate Marda Toh Madatey Khuda" -when you stand with courage, God stands with you!
This piece was an order, we will quickly have to make another one!

Last night there was fire and rain and power cut to boot... it took 18hours of hard labour and brain wracking improvisations to meet the challenge of casting our biggest ever Rock Dhokra piece! Worked through the night finishing at 4 am. Can't say yet if it was successful. Will come to know after breaking open the mould!

Nepali 'Potey' beads and and the Devrai pendant can do wonders together!

Devrai Organic Dhokra
We not only take inspiration from Nature but also incorporate natural elements in our design by casting them in brass! No human hand can possibly recreate the texture of this pod or of the creeper used for making door handles...

Beaten iron masks with Dhokra jewellery...

Inauguration of our new shed for beaten iron work some months back. Iron work offers its own challenges!

So many moods of the bull...

Very difficult to capture the serenity on the face of Buddha! This was first made in clay...
It's Buddha Purnima today. How amazing to think that such a man existed in flesh and blood who is now an icon of worship!

The making of the big Nandi...

The thrill of breaking open a mould after casting to see if the molten brass has flown into all the details of the design...
This is a small model of a 6 ft statue which we are going to make! Biggest we have ever made! It will be installed in Delhi...

Tooni and Nidhu's creations have come out intact after casting. Their parents work with us and these two girls are picking up the skill fast!

This little tortoise takes you to the realm of mythology where man tries to make sense of the unexplainable through stories.
'Amrit' was churned out of the oceans on a tortoise's back (Kurma Avatar of Vishnu). This massive effort required both the the 'Devas and the 'Danavs' to hold the two ends of the 'Vasuki' snake twirled around mount 'Sumeru'. What a beautiful metaphor to explain the the elemental churning using the conscious mind (Devas or the lighted ones) and the subconscious mind( Danavs representing the dark recesses of baser instincts)!

So if you keep this tortoise dipped in water as a conscious reminder to strive towards getting the 'Amrit' or the elixir of life, it turns into an auspicious totem for well being, health, wisdom and happiness...'
Available @Either OrPune and at the Devrai Art Village gallery in Panchgani

The basic mould of clay for a 5 ft long Nandi... This is our first attempt at making such a big one! Now it will be covered using thick threads of wax.Then two layers of clay, the first very fine which takes the imprint of the design and the second one with coarser clay mixed with rice husk and cow dung. Once dry , it will be fired and molten Brass poured into it which will replace all wax work...

The stag finds its home after three years of its making!

Somesh Madhavi, the artist placing the real branches as the antlers...They had to be hacked off, cast separately and welded again! Transporting the big head to Delhi for our exhibition at IIC was a Herculean task...

Thank you for your appreciation and concern for sustaining our indigenous arts! Your support means a lot to us...

Nature is the best teacher!

The stones whisper to us what they want to become...

TAKSHNI PLAGIARIZES DEVRAI ART VILLAGE
Uncanny resemblance between Devrai Art Village products and Takshni discovered on the net. Have been trying to get a response from Takshni, but there has been no success yet. Below pictures of our products and Takshni products are placed side by side and also the unanswered email which was sent a week ago.

A horse form has inherent aesthetics but the pig family can also look cute!

Devrai Rock Dhokra bulls

Devrai Rock Dhokra Bulls

The golden tortoise climbs up the enchanted moonlit mountain...

A new Spring
On the ruins of time...

The moon sprouts desire tonight
Let's fly, let's fly out of sight
Holding each other tight!

From the hollow cage of my ribs, flew out so many birds...

The bells from Kutch have a have a lovely sound quality, each distinct from the other perhaps to be able to recognise the cattle around whose neck the bell was tied! Here at Devrai, they are adding a different charm to our artefacts ... a happy customer holds the Kingfisher wind chime...we are happy and so is Mohammad Bhai, the maker of the bells who supplies us from Kutch.

Let's remember Hanuman, who stands for strength and devotion and NOT aggression or vandalism!
Devrai Rock Dhokra
Made using three river pebbles.....

Broken things find new expressions...a broken blue ceramic mug turns into jewellery, the broken stone of the Nandi exudes a charm of its own ! Sometimes casting is total failure, like it happened to Santosh's lovely horse when the stone split in the kiln while it was being fired breaking the mould itself!

The chameleon turns!
Somesh Madhavi who joined us as an apprentice four years ago has come a long long way...

Hot and spicy summer creations at Devrai!

Standing Bulls-Devrai Rock Dhokra

When the old leaves fall, the new ones come! Happy Gudipadva!

Laughing Buddha. Devrai Rock Dhokra. The belly is a river pebble...

Spinning stories- each artefact has a story to share!

Made from pieces of ceramic, pottery and pebbles...

Our new iron craftsmen fromChattisgarh- Prem and Dilip work wonders with iron...kachnaar branch with birds and flowers. The branches are yet to be painted. Notice the Paradise Flycatcher with its long tail! Expert in making birds is Balsingh, a young boy from Gadchiroli who joined us as an apprentice 3 years ago...

Nature Goddess - fusion of brass with river pebbles using the lost wax process of metal casting.
Devrai Rock Dhokra artefacts on display in 'Tribal Handicraft Exhibition' in Pune at TRTI, 28 Queen's Garden from today till the28 th between 8am to 10 pm. Do visit our stall...