Gadwakam
Bastar
The Adivasis of Bastar use the ancient method of casting metal by
the lost wax process. They create icons for worship, ornaments like
anklets and necklaces, items of utility like containers and measures,
oil lamps, musical instruments, trees and animal forms. Their craft
includes sculptures of their Gods and Goddesses like ‘Raodev’,
‘Dhanteshwaridevi’, ‘Moulidevi’ and ‘Pardesin Matadevi’. An interesting
characteristic of Bastar art is the stylized figures with elongated torsos
and arms. With the introduction of steel and plastic the craftsmen do
not make items of utility but continue to make religious icons for their
ceremonies and temples.
The procedure of gadwakam is laborious. The clay model is covered
with wax on which intricate detailing is done. Another layer of fine clay
is added onto the wax layer with a hole at the bottom. When the outer
shell is dry and hard, a fire is lit around it so that the wax between the
two layers melts and comes out of the hole. A cavity is created which
is then filled by pouring in a molten mixture of brass and bronze. When
this metal cools and solidifies, the outer layer of clay is removed to
reveal the object which is then filed and burnished.
Suresh Waghmare is a leading exponent of
gadwakam
. After completing his education, he started
working with Phool Singh Besara, an expert in this technique of metal casting. His work has been
on display in India and abroad including exhibitions at the Lal Bagh Palace, Indore, 1993; the
Kala Academy Goa, 1995; the National Gallery of Modern Art, Mumbai, 2004 and the Namaste
India Festival, Spain, 2006. Since several years, he has been conducting workshops and lecture
demonstrations to promote his craft.
