AN ARTISTIC VIHAR

Marvels for state fest - POETRY IN STONE

AAROHI KESHAV

Mark from Stone Street, England, works on his sculpture for Bihar Divas at the College of Arts and Crafts, Patna, on Tuesday. Picture by Deepak Kumar Patna, March 8: Students of College of Arts and Crafts, Patna, are cutting through stone for Bihar Divas, literally. Guided by renowned national and international artists, the amateur sculptors are chiselling marble for the festival to celebrate 99 years of statehood of Bihar. Rang Vikalp, a non-profit artistic organisation, has organised a sculpture camp, to train local talents and also to showcase the work of renowned artists. Seven Indian and two English artists are taking part in the camp that began on March 3 and will go on till March 17. “This is the first time artists have come together in Patna for a camp like this. We will also teach the students,” said Manoj Kumar Bachchan, an artist at the camp. He added: “All the artists who are taking part are accomplished in their craft. Their work will be showcased at the Bihar Divas on March 22. The price of each work is around Rs 5 lakh. These will be acquired by the state government and will be assets for Bihar. “At present, Bihar does not have too many contemporary art works. Only Madhubani paintings can be found here. Acquiring these works will help beautify the state,” said Bachchan. Vijay Kumar, a sculptor from Jaipur was experimenting with pink marble. On being asked what he was carving, he said: “I have not planned anything yet but I am sure the final product will be something beautiful.” Vijay, who has a postgraduate degree in fine arts from Banaras Hindu University, said: “I never decide from before what the final product will be. It depends on a number of factors — the material I use, the time available and also what I am thinking. All these factors influence the final work. I can name it only after it is complete. Before that I am completely clueless. “I believe every artist has his or her own style. It can be clearly seen from the work of the artist. For instance, I am a nature lover and my work always reflects that,” he added. Mark (40), an artist from Stone Street, England, is also taking part in the camp. He said he has been working as an artist for the past eight years and this is his first visit to Patna. Explaining his latest art work that he has been sculpting for the past few days, he said: “I have started a simple figure sculpture. It will change a lot over time. I never decide beforehand what the final work will be. It will be a product of my experiments over the next few days.” Mark added that he was delighted to work with the students most of whom are very confident and quick learners. “They know such a lot at an young age. They are very comfortable using large machines. I was not as talented or smart at their age. I am happy to be a part of the gala and showcase my work.” Mamta Keshari, a third year sculpture student, said she was very happy to learn from the artists. “I am very happy to receive training from such experienced artists. We have learnt a lot of new techniques at the camp,” said Mamta, who wants to teach art in the state.