mudita bhandari
Indore, Madhya Pradesh, India
Mudita Bhandari at Ashwini Bhat’s studio in Auroville, India
Mudita Bhandari, Musings series, 2017. Terracotta (gas and smoke fired to 1150 degrees C) and string. 11” H x 9.5” W x 13” L and 9” H x 9” W x 12” L
As the lock-down was announced, I found myself in the middle of a transition: we had moved from our ancestral home into a temporary house, and needless to say I did not have a proper studio space. In my practice, making has never been a compulsion; it’s more a culmination or expression of being, and observing what goes on in and around. Normally, making helps me move away from the rushed urban life into a space of my own, balancing the noise of the outside world with the quiet space within.
As the world slowed down, with no distractions, deadlines or “things to do,” I guiltlessly dived deeper into the quiet layers of timeless space and enjoyed the monotonous routine of household chores and periodic interactions with my students. I took to writing as a way to witness and bring all fragments of thoughts, ideas and feelings together—a process I use to evaluate where I am in life. It was a quiet pause greatly needed to remind me to restructure my life and create more space.
My practice is deeply rooted in the idea of space. All these years, the idea of duality had been about two sides of the same coin. Something shifted and made me look at the “whole” in which the two sides exist, freeing up space as limiting ideas of boundaries dissolved. I am now using different materials along with old fired clay forms to consciously explore the diverse dimensions of various mediums.
Mudita Bhandari, Home, 2018. Terracotta and earthenware, gas fired and smoke fired. 12” H x 8” W x 7.5” L; 10” H x 13” W x 12” L; 8” H x 15” W x 8.5” L.
Mudita Bhandari, Within, 2015. Terracotta (gas fired to 1150 degrees C) with stains and smoke fired. Dimensions variable
during the pandemic, Mudita Bhandari took to writing as a way of bringing THOUGHTS AND FEELINGS TOGETHER, prompting her to re-evaluate how she thinks about space in her work
Mudita Bhandari, The Wired Dance, 2020. Fired clay with copper wire, idea in progress
Mudita Bhandari, The Wired Dance, 2020. Fired clay with copper wire, idea in progress 4” H x 3”W x 4” L
Mudita Bhandari, Knotted, 2020. Fired clay with cement, idea in progress.
Mudita Bhandari, Knotted, 2020. Fired clay with cement, idea in progress.
Mudita Bhandari, The Wired Dance, 2020. Fired clay with copper wire, idea in progress. 4” H x 3.5” W x 4.5” L