Kavad Art: The Quest for Recognition
Experimental Kavad artist Satyanarayan Suthar illustrates his personal stories and desires on this one of a kind Kavad
Dastkari Haat Samiti
Dastkari Haat Samiti
Satyanarayan Suthar in his Quest for Recognition
Satyanarayan Suthar is a story-telling carpenter-artist who lives and works in Bassi, located in Chittorgarh District of the western state of Rajasthan. He is quiet and introverted, shy of telling his own story. But he has achieved recognition and success because of the quality of his work, and willingness to experiment with new stories and forms. He has been the subject of studies by art historians and craft designers.
Wooden Kavad Cupboard by Satyanarayan SutharDastkari Haat Samiti
A handsome dark red Kavad made by Satyanarayan Suthar stands out as an exhibition piece that combines the old with the contemporary in its form and use.
With the added ruse of colour coding, it tells the story of what is in every traditional rural artist’s heart – the quest for recognition in a modern, urban world.
Kavad Art: Satyanarayan Suthar working on his large red Kavad which depicted the craftsman's quest for recognition (2012)Dastkari Haat Samiti
The colour palette is chosen to separately represent rural and city landscapes, people and occupations.
Kavad Art: Satyanarayan Suthar working on his large red Kavad: the green lines represent the artist's journey as he travels from village to city (2012)Dastkari Haat Samiti
The green parallel lines is the route the artist is taking in his journey from his village to the city of Mumbai, the heart of India’s commerce and cosmopolitan life.
Kavad Art: Extending the Kavad tradition: new narratives (2015)Dastkari Haat Samiti
The colour palette is chosen to separately represent rural and city landscapes, people and occupations.
Kavad Art: Satyanarayan Suthar's large red Kavad: the green lines represent the artist's journey as he travels from village to city (2012)Dastkari Haat Samiti
Every panel of the kavad has a depiction of the rural-urban contrast in lifestyles.
Kavad Art: Satyanarayan Suthar working on his large red Kavad which depicted the craftsman's quest for recognition (2012)Dastkari Haat Samiti
The aircraft flies over Mumbai while, below it, labourers help in building a big city.
Kavad Art: Satyanarayan Suthar working on his large red Kavad: he uses the traditional white dots, used to separate different sections of the narrative (2012)Dastkari Haat Samiti
The artist uses the white dot ornamentation between sections of the Kavad.
Kavad Art: Satyanarayan Suthar working on his large red Kavad: he uses the traditional white dots, used to separate different sections of the narrative (2012)Dastkari Haat Samiti
The white dotted line is both an ornamentation and demarcation.
Kavad Art: Satyanarayan Suthar's large red Kavad: the green lines represent the artist's journey as he travels from village to city (2012)Dastkari Haat Samiti
"My quest to merge myself with the whole of society is depicted on this cupboard which is a new model of the basic kavad design".
As the artist moves he writes, for the first time, in well-practiced, neat Devnagari script, the progress of his thoughts and dreams, describes the reality of his rural environs, and the actual goal of a finding space in a prestigious air-conditioned art gallery.
Kavad Art: Satyanarayan Suthar working on his large red Kavad: he used script in combination with imagery to communicate to a new audience (2012)Dastkari Haat Samiti
In his story, he expresses his desire to integrate the best from both worlds. The departure from the rural should not involve leaving behind its perennial values.
The good aspects of a village and a city must combine to form a well-balanced society.
Kavad Art: Satyanarayan Suthar's large red Kavad which depicted the craftsman's quest for recognition (2012)Dastkari Haat Samiti
This concept is represented by Kundana bai, the patron saint of Kavadias, placed, almost hidden, in the rear central portion of what is a modern cabinet, combining aspects of the traditional Kavad in its multi-panelled structure with shelves and drawers for storage.
The form of the wooden piece and the content of the story merge as one piece.
The final panel on the bottom right shows Sathyanarayan Suthar’s concept of what modern, abstract art in an art gallery in Mumbai looks like.
Detail, bottom right, of the artist displaying his kavad as an art work in a cosmopolitan art gallery.
The final panel states that this Kavad serves as his own art gallery until he is recognized as a contemporary artist who has brought the best of tradition with him onto an urban platform.
Kavad Art: Variations on the traditional Kavad are made in different colours, with an abridged storyline (2017)Dastkari Haat Samiti
Read more about the traditions Kavad Art and Storytelling here:
- Show and Tell: Myths, Legends and Alphabets
- Kavad Art: Carpentry and Painting
Text: Aloka Hiremath and Jaya Jaitly
Photography: Suleiman Merchant
Artisans: Satya Narayan Suthar
Ground Facilitator: Aloka Hiremath
Documentary Video: Suleiman Merchant
Curation: Ruchira Verma
