Rajesh Krishna’s career has started on a rocky note. The 23-year-old had just joined the field of sculpting when Bengaluru went into a lockdown to contain the first wave of the pandemic.
“All my projects came to a halt last year. And even though the recent lockdown has lifted, I am not getting more than one or two orders,” says the young artist who specialises in making realistic and abstract models.
Krishna’s plight is not his alone. Even senior sculptors in the city are struggling — new orders aren’t coming and previous projects aren’t selling.
Project peeves
Take the case of 37-year-old Dhanush Kiran GP, who runs Sculpture Studio in Vyalikaval along with his wife Meghana S Yeri. “We have stopped doing creative projects for now. We are making commercial sculptures instead for financial stability,” he shares. He was approached to make statues of people who had died of COVID-19 but he passed it up — it made him uncomfortable.
How did things come to a head, Metrolife asked? Kiran explains, “As customers could not visit our studio (to collect their orders) during the lockdowns, we didn’t receive money on time. We had to wait till they could take away the idols.” Even now, eight sculptures are waiting to be picked from his studio but clients are hesitant to step out, he informs.
The lockdowns also made it difficult for them to source sculpting material such as Plaster of Paris, ropes, wheels, stones, metal and wood. “Many shops were closed,” he added.
On the other end of the city, in Sakalwara village along the Bannerghatta road, veteran sculptor Ganesh L Bhat was battling a different challenge. There weren’t enough workers to assist him in building idols for upcoming temples as they had returned to their hometown.
“I remember I had to deliver two idols before the enforcement of the recent lockdown. I didn’t have assistants but I managed to complete them somehow,” says the artist who has been in this profession for 45 years now. However, going solo isn’t sustainable. “People have started placing orders for new idols but there is no manpower to finish them,” he complains.
Sendil Chandran has had it worse. The 37-year-old sculptor shut down Bondasoup Art Studios, which he was co-running in Kalyan Nagar, because he could not afford the rent.
“People, who had booked their orders prior to the lockdowns (last year and this April), cancelled them,” Chandran explains why his work and earnings dried up.
He has started looking for a new place to open his studio but is unsurely. “We have received two commissioned projects but what if the third wave comes,” Chandran expresses his fears.
Money matters
Finally, in May 2021, the state government announced financial assistance to artists through its Direct Bank Transfer scheme. But it turned out to be a pittance – Rs3,000 per month.
Kiran says, “How can an artist thrive on such little money? The studio rent itself comes to around Rs10,000 a month. Sculptors are not treated at par with electricians, construction workers and other people in the essential services segment.” It would be better if income tax and electricity bills can be waived off on top of this stimulus package, he added. To make matters worse, financial aid hasn’t reached everybody. Hear it from Chandran, “I have applied for the government’s financial help but haven’t received a penny yet.”
Online buzz
Sculpture shopping is a very physical, tactile experience, so the community is divided over the prospects of taking it online.
Kiran is glad to see that customers are booking the figurines of Gandhi, Ambedkar and other personalised artworks through virtual platforms. Likewise, Chandran feels websites will supplement their income by providing them with another outlet to showcase their work.
However, Krishna feels online shopping is no match to an in-person visit. “Sculptures have to be purchased in person. The depth and dimension of the work cannot be experienced virtually,” he says.
Past troubles
The pandemic aside, the sculpting community has been beset with many other obstacles.
“There are no proper institutes to train budding sculptors and artists in the country. Almost all cultural-educational institutions in various states are facing the problem of inbreeding – they are employing fresh graduates as teachers in the same institution,” says renowned sculptor, artist and academic researcher Balan Nambiar, who has also been a member of the Central Advisory Board on Culture.
An even bigger challenge is the waning interest in sculpting. “More youngsters should join this profession and they should focus on learning the nuances of sculpting. It may be a tiresome job but our work is everlasting,” Bhat signs off.