The art of Kratu

Kratu was an “expressionist” painter before turning to ceramic sculpture. The large selection of ceramic sculpture in this exhibition gives a good overview of his ceramic work over the years. Here are the striking heads he is best known for, as well as vases and free standing sculptures, bas-reliefs and line drawings of predominantly female figures.

“I like the female form very much,” says Kratu, “I am fascinated by the movement of the human body.”

Sometimes Kratu’s forms seem to be moulded at that very moment; they seem warm from the imprint of his fingers. At other times they seem to be mysteriously emerging from the clay itself. In this sense, they are somewhat reminiscent of Michelangelo’s unfinished bodies emerging from the rough, unshaped marble. Indeed, while Kratu laughingly dismisses any kind of comparison, his method of working is sometimes akin to that of the great Renaissance artist. “Sometimes when I see a piece of clay, I see the beginning of something inside, which shapes itself into the sculpture,” says Kratu.

Kratu spent 17 years in the Sri Aurobindo Ashram before coming to Auroville and while he painted little during this period, it clearly had an important influence upon his art. “In the past I used to paint large canvasses on bright colours with tormented dramatic figures. But now I would like to express something more from within, a peace, a calmness,” he explained some years ago.

“My aim in sculpture, whether dealing with human body, groups or faces, is to express something deeper than the outward form. When I work extensively on single faces of varying sizes, I am trying to convey in them the profundity of the human soul which is always present under the surface and through time.”

Indeed, there is something timeless about his archetypal figures and heads, something echoing the timelessness of classical Greek sculpture and certain forms of African art.

Indian art is a particular inspiration. “I love the inner quality of Indian work. The best of Indian art and sculpture expresses an inner spiritual truth and this is what I try to depict in my work. It is soft, expressive, but the expression is sometimes inside.”

Kratu favours simplicity both in execution and materials. Much of his work has the natural texture and colour of earth. “I like wood-firing very much because wood gives the natural colour which we don’t get with the gas kiln. I don’t use much colour and I don’t use glaze much because it is thick and you lose the details.” Indeed, some of the most expressive work in this exhibition employs just a few lines which suggest a face or form against a plain background. As he puts it, “I like simplicity but at the same time a kind of expression that is subtle and inner”.

In other words, this is an art that doesn’t trumpet itself; rather, it asks you to still yourself before seeking it quietly on its own terms. It’s a rewarding adventure.