Just outside MAP I overhear a group of students talking about the dhokra pieces scattered as bric-a-brac about their homes. Like them, I had seen the pieces on display at the museum and I too, was guilty of dismissing them as beautiful show pieces until I saw Breaking the Mould, a short film running on a loop alongside the exhibits.
Dhokra is the art form indigenous to Bastar and Raigarh in Chhatisgarh created with the lost wax technique using bell metal. At least, that is how it would be defined. However, Breaking the Mould shows the painstaking process used to create marvellously intricate works, and suddenly there is a greater appreciation for the grains on a winnow, a chieftain’s elaborate headdress and the bejewelled bridle on a horse.
Bust of Madiya by Jaidev Baghel from Outside In | Photo Credit: Ruth Dhanaraj
Meera Mukherjee and Jaidev Baghel, perhaps the most well-known names associated with the craft of Bastar dhokra, are responsible for putting this art form on the world map. Meera began working with Sriman Baghel, Jaidev’s father, in a bid to learn about dhokra. Eventually, it became her life’s work and she with Jaidev, inched it away from the brink of obscurity, giving the community of dhokra craftsmen hope that the work of their hands could be their legacy.
Outside In is a tribute to their work and showcases 26 sculptures and six pieces of kantha work by Meera from the MAP Collection. As part of this exhibition is a publication designed by Valentina Abenavoli with photographs by Philippe Calia and Jaisingh Nageshwaran, also titled Outside In.
Mother and Child by Meera Mukherjee (left) and Madin with her Child by Jaidev Baghel at Outside In | Photo Credit: Ruth Dhanaraj
Chennai-based Jaisingh, who also shot Breaking the Mould, says, “Since both these artistes are no more, MAP decided to make a movie about dhokra documenting this traditional craft. They also commissioned one of Jaidev’s works as many of the moulds he created still remain in his workshop.”
The piece bearing Jaidev’s signature, which was on the mould, is titled Raodeo and is of a deity on horseback brandishing two swords; in Breaking the Mould, a villager is seen explaining the legend behind the figure who is actually the protector of the community.
This 18-minute documentary film and the book, capture in photographs the process of creating a dhokra piece. The labour-intensive method gives one a greater appreciation of the detailing seen in every work of art. Some of the photographs are also displayed through the hall which houses these exhibits. A step-by-step illustration of the process as well as clay samples used are also on display.
Masks by Jaidev Baghel at Outside In | Photo Credit: Ruth Dhanaraj
One of the principal characters in Breaking the Mould is BhupendraBaghel, Jaidev’s son. Bhupendra is carrying on his father’s legacy, helping the community see the wisdom in branching into more contemporary designs that would be valued in the international market.
At Outside In, one sees pieces such as Queuing Before the Passport Office, Mother and Child, The Thinker and a pair of masks which do not have an religious context, but were crafted purely as aesthetic pieces.
“I believe this is a new approach to design, a collaboration between museums and artists. You have existing artists as well as the context of the masters of the art practice — it helps introduce dhokra to the next generation of craftsmen,” says Jaisingh, adding, “As a filmmaker, I believe it serves an educative purpose by creating awareness.”
Outside In, an exhibition of works by Meera Mukherjee and Jaidev Baghel, will be on at MAP till October 20, 2024.
One of the dhokhra works on display at Outside In, MAP | Photo Credit: Ruth Dhanaraj
