Pottery, a very unique and appealing art form stands out when it comes to art and crafts in Pakistan. Pottery, also called ceramic art, is making objects ranging from small decorative pots and pans, glasses and cups and much more besides making huge vessels and vases. Clay – the main ingredient – is incredible in its ability to get moulded by the hands into objects of beauty worth seeing.
To convert soil to clay (a moldable form), it undergoes kneading and wedging technique. In Pakistan, at a commercial scale, a pug mill is used for this process. The kneading is done to ensure that all the small particles are fused and evenly aligned otherwise the clay gets deformed while running on a wheel.
The potter uses a pottery wheel (a device that spins at various speed levels depending upon the object that has to be created). Some amount of clay dough is put on the wheel’s head then it’s spun and shaped via the help of hands and some tools. Finally, when a pot is formed it is cut off from the wheel to dry and then put in fire at high temperature to give it rigidity and strength.
This young artist from Bahawlpur, Punjab in Pakistan is talking about how this centuries-old art is dying and how difficult it is becoming to preserve this art form. The art is dying since there is no support from the government to preserve it. He learnt the art from his father who for over three decades has been in the industry. He says, that traditionally only a few pots and pans were created but with the new generation, there has been innovation in the work and thus many new articles of decor are created on the potter’s wheel. This young artist demands some patronage from the government for the preservation of this art.
