The joy of creating your own art and seeing how it transforms. This is what we truly experienced along with all the paritcipants at our recent Tribal Metal Craft workshop. We are happy to share their wonderful creations...

Moulds drying in the fire of the melting metal-
Our three day metal craft workshop concluded last evening where the participants could create their own masterpieces, big and small! It was a challenge to condense a weeklong process into three days in the rainy season!

Girls celebrating the Independence Day wearing the flag colours at Devrai...

Jab tak Suraj Chand rahega
Bharat tera naam rahega!

Day 2 of the Metal Craft Workshop at Devrai Art Village...

A stone too has an identity! Mother and child, wax work...

Metal craft workshop at Devrai... wax work on stones ... Ist day morning

One day to go for the Metal Craft workshop at Devrai Art Village! The bird calls out to people who are still interested...or else see you next time!(:

The Ganesha Tumba lamp and the real Tumba creeper behind. We are eagerly waiting for it to start fruiting so that we don't have to fetch the dry gourds all the way from Chattisgarh!
Tribal art is integrated with its surroundings and the tribal way of living. We, at Devrai Art Village not only strive to sustain the art but also revive the lost connect between Man and Nature...

Witness the beauty of of how two characteristically different mediums that we having been using;iron and gourd lamps, interact each other, giving out the warmth that their patterns of light create...

Devrai Art Village

A real branch, about 3ft tall, was affixed to the stone with roots in wax. And then it was cast using the the lost wax technique. The original branch got replaced by molten brass... the owls were made separately using small river pebbles and then welded to the tree.

Where tradition meets with innovation!

Today our Nandi goes to Delhi university, feeling sad and empty like the bride's household after the 'Bidai'. The winged figure too will be gone! Three months of hectic activity, failures and challenges and now the contentment of a job well done! The Devrai team rejoices!

The peacock has finally come alive!

Final finishing touches to the Nandi...

Walk through the magic of 'Tumba Craft' or the dry gourd carved lamp shades at Devrai Art Village

Shubheshwarji laboriously remakes in wax the portions of the Nandi that did not come in casting! These pieces were cast separately and are now in the process of being welded to the Nandi....Patience, perseverance and courage, that's what the Nandi has made us experience! And this is what perhaps the Nandi in the temple placed before the Shivalinga stands for!

The real Kachnaar tree in our garden inspires us to make the Kachnaar branch in metal. The flowers are in brass made using the lost wax technique of metal casting. The leaves are made of iron, beaten into shape while red hot- a technique that is perfected over generations of practice! The little birds are a fusion of stone and brass- 'Devrai Rock Dhokra', our own innovation at Devrai Art Village!

Ganeshas in the making...

Bonded stone and metal creations. Watch out for more!

Slowly the winged human sculpture is getting ready for the takeoff...

Devrai Art Village has been recommended on LBB, Mumbai ! click on the link to know more.. https://lbb.in/mumbai/theres-an-art-village-in-panchgani-and-youre-welcome-to-contribute

The Tree Mother that nurtures us all!
Creation in fused iron and brass with balancing birds and the bells from Kutch!

Last week a customer who had walked into our gallery picked up a Rock Dhokra piece and exclaimed- "It has the weight of a real stone, it cannot be replicated in China !" Pebbles shaped by the flow of water form the central core of our pieces. Often, a peculiar shape is the source of inspiration, sometimes the artist looks for a particular stone that lends itself to what he has in mind....

No for terrorism, India for Amarnath!

Dakshinamurty, Adiguru Shiva

Facing the south
Under the Banyan tree
Sits the Adiguru Shiva
Communicating in silence
With his disciples...

The Molten Metal Mural Stag

Parrots have been a constant leitmotif in Indian art. These creations have been inspired by real life experiences too. Parrots feasting on drumsticks or flying in the sky gossiping loud and clear!
The bells are from Kutch. Mohammad Bhai and Devrai Art Village have joined hands in many ways!

Look who has come into our gallery!

These bangles are made by apprentice girls who are focussing on jewellery making... The bangle stand is made using a real branch cast in brass- 'Devrai Organic Dhokra'

Kingfishers at the Lily Pond. Waiting for the fish to reveal itself!
Connecting with Nature keeps our imagination fertile!

The story of the winged human sculpture!
We are in the process of creating a 12 ft tall sculpture to be installed in Delhi University! After many hiccups seeing the light at the end of the tunnel!

I play my drum alone!

Our attempt at making the biggest 'Rock Dhokra' ever!

The last three months has seen us evolving new techniques to cast the Rock Dhokra Nandi weighing more than 500 kgs in a single piece!Normally big sculptures in metal are cast in pieces and then welded together...
Our three Nandis have taught that failure can be the biggest teacher! Keeping fingers crossed for the third attempt! As they say 'Lage Raho...' keep at it!

Honey dripping moon...
Happy Eid!

Working with the rain and fire, clay and metal!

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...