WOMEN ARTIST IN INDIAN CONTEMPORARY CERAMICS

India has a rich heritage of terracotta art; the history of terracotta/clay goes back to the Harappa Civilization. It is one of the oldest mediums of communication between people, whether for the barter system or as a medium of expression for the artists. ‘Pot' in the Indian language is called a KUMBH/ PATRA and a person who makes it is called a KUMBHKAR. A different name of potter came to be known as 'Prajapati' (creator of toys) that came from Brahma who made man of clay, there are many stories behind the origin of the term ‘potter'. Pottery can be seen in all cultures all over the world and every culture has a significant style//character in its pottery tradition (Kempler, 2015). In traditional potter families in India, women were not allowed to work on the wheel, women help in preparing the clay, making figures (votive figures), and painting and decorating the ready pots. In Indian society, patriarchy has been a very prominent feature, for long-time women were deprived of their basic right to education, right to own property, and freedom of speech. Many activists and reformers fought a long battle to provide gender equality in the field of education and all spheres of life in the field of Art/Pottery also it is education that broke the age-old barriers and notions related to clay and brought self-sufficiency and self-consciousness for graceful living an honorable status in the society. Development of Art Colleges and Design Schools in India encouraged many female students to learn different subjects like pottery, painting, sculpture, etc. All these subjects enhanced the technical knowledge of the students and paved their way into different art fields. Nirmala Patwardhan, Jyotsna Bhatt, Era Chaudhary, Shampa Shah, Dipalee Daroz, Manisha Bhattacharya, Kristine Michael, Madhavi Subramanian are some of the artists who encouraged the future generation, especially women ceramic artists in India. In the present study, we will discuss the contribution of women artists in contemporary Indian ceramics.