Reyaz Badaruddin: Selected works, 2018-2023
My inspiration keeps evolving to reflect a wide range of interests that mix social and aesthetic considerations. My work explores a range of themes, from witnessing the changing landscapes of urbanization to reflecting on aspects of craft and craftsmanship, exploring the place and role of artisans. More recently, I have engaged with formalist considerations in my ceramic practice, dealing with the questions of context and placement, as well as how these influence the perception of objects and determine the importance given to them.
Initially, I received traditional training, working predominantly on the potter’s wheel. Later, I was exposed to various techniques through meeting artists, traveling and working in different environments. Over the years, my technical vocabulary has diversified. I enjoy mixing hand-building, wheel-throwing, and, more recently, paint on canvas to take my practices to new territories.
Objects of Desire, 2022
This body of work was created in the context of a residency at KTSM, Istanbul. Being in Istanbul, working at the heart of one of the major historical commerce routes in the world, I was inspired to choose the form of a shipping container to reflect on consumerism in today’s world to respond to #IyiBakDünyana. This simple form, taken to the status of sculpture through the addition of small abstract forms echoing shapes noticed around shipyards, become “objects of desire”. With these sculptures, I want to spark a reflection on the innumerable objects we acquire and the impact created on the environment on a global scale. The creative process led me to scale up some of these forms as a visual emphasis of my intent.
Objects of Desire, 2022, Terracotta
Im[practical],2022
This series revisits earlier works from the Still Life series, adding colours to emphasize the playful dimension. Im[practical] is a series of ceramic pieces referencing functional objects which invite viewers to question the nature and the relevance of divides such as art/craft, or traditional/contemporary. By approaching functionality, materiality and aesthetics in a playful way, the artist leads viewers to question the validity of these dichotomies and the notion of hierarchy.
Im[practical], 2022, Terracotta
Changing landscape, 2022-2023
The inspiration for this work comes from an observation of the omnipresent urbanization, in particular, the skyscrapers with endless towers filled with thousands of pigeon holes – the new modern form of human dwelling destined for millions. The feel of space, the changing landscape, and the concept of home/house/belonging are ideas that have been explored in this work.
Changing landscape, 2023, Terracotta
Still life, 2018
This installation investigates the relationship between ceramic objects and their representation in painting through the process of working with clay and canvas. This body of work was an experiment with both two and three dimensions in order to present compositions through which the viewer can rethink the relationship with given objects presented differently in the same physical space.
Still life, 2018, Terracotta, porcelain and acrylic on canvas
