Globally celebrated Delhi-based artist and Padmashree awardee Paresh Maity has once again created a wonder in art. At Art Ichol, an artists’ residency in Maihar, Madhya Pradesh, Maity has created a 34-feet high, 20 feet long and 8 feet wide sculpture titled Maihar that opened to public last week. The installation, a sculptural marvel in steel and brass, is an artistic tribute to Maihar, both the punya -bhoomiof the Maa Sharda shaktipeeth and the karmabhoomi of Ustad Allauddin Khan, the legendary musical maestro who founded the Maihar gharana of Hindustani classical music.
Says Ambica Beri, founder, Art Ichol: “I invited Maity to install this sculpture to celebrate the 4th anniversary of Art Ichol. His sculpture weds a creative link between the spiritual and temporal heritage of Maihar. Soaring 34 feet from above the round, the sculpture is both imposing and endearing. Through this latest work, Maity creates a fascinating link between the past and future, which we can relish in the present.”
The sculpture has been installed in the sprawling lawns of Art Ichol, a world-class multi-arts centre spread over five acres and equipped with an art gallery, a bronze foundry, stone and wood carving workshops, ceramic and pottery centre amongst other attractions. In the last four years since its inception, artists, writers, photographers and filmmakers have thronged Art Ichol making it a melting pot of creative exploration.
“When I first visited Maihar on Ambica’s invitation during a residency, I also visited the Maa Sharda Shaktipeeth and the Maihar School of music. Since then, creating something that was a fitting tribute to both had been on my mind. The open air sculpture garden at Art Ichol was just the place to install this piece,” says the artist.
It took Maity 13 months to create the sculpture as an amalgamation of musical instruments and the temple adorned with bells almost akin to the devi’s bejeweled persona.
