The art for earth

Abstract

Whenever we talk about Art, pottery will come as the primordial element for the culture of mankind itself. The very first time human kind started to form any or some sort of utensils was with clay. Then came pottery as an art to give a new meaning to the works of clay. Pottery has always been a part and parcel of every nation’s art & culture. Bangladesh or to be precise this subcontinental area is also not far behind. In fact, our country is enriched with rich cultural history in this particular segment. Dhamrai has been the abode of creativity for a long time. It has a rich history of artistic creativity tracing back to the Pala Dynasty (800-1100AD), during which time both early Buddhist and Hindu settlements once flourished. Some of the most beautiful crafts like metal casting, pottery, terracotta work etc. have been flourished in this region for decades. But due to mass production in factories, small scale exposure of the crafts and many other reasons these crafts are in jeopardy and so are the artisans. The urge to restore the glory of the tradition of this culture and provide an exposure to the traditional art and artisans with the help of contemporary architectural intervention laid the basis of the hypothesis of this project. Traditionally being one of the ancient and known rural industry in Bangladesh, it is the semi largest source of rural employment and income after agriculture and is responsible for a very high percentage of the nation's economy. However, today, this prospective commerce is facing threats of extinction because of various problems and obstructions, thus compelling the potters to leave their ancestors profession, clay crafting. The crafts persons, who play an instrumental role in the development of this sector, are deprived from all kinds of basic needs and wages which questions their livelihood and force them to leave their profession. This beautiful process of turning a mold into a craft is very intricate and deserves high recognition and value. However, the reality is far away from this. Glorious past, confusing present and questionable future; is the ultimate harsh truth that clay craft is facing now. This paper discusses the approach chosen for the benefit of the artisans’ community by taking inspiration from the past and implementing it for the future, thus adding to its potential. It’s like an institution within itself which benefits the entire complex as one unified whole. This interaction center, informal shield and accommodating of the craftsman’ language is basically an interactive platform for the welfare of the potters’ community, and in greater aspect for the entire country. The main aim of this paper is to deal with the actual scenario of the current situation, identify the limitations and strengthen the possibilities with the intention of preserving the existence of our beautiful craft creations through a collective attempt.