Of nature and colourful motifs

Colourful Shoras on display

"Nature is a very important part of traditional art. The traditional Shora, with all its vibrancy and motifs is used in festivals.. Nowadays people are caught up with city life and nature has been destroyed trees have been felled, rivers are drying and fish catch is dwindling. In my brochure I have a Shora of a bird catching a fish. Basically I have a love for nature which I express in my work," says Sukumar, described as the guru of this art form.

Rickshaw art is always another source of inspiration. "I really go for the smooth brush strokes in this form of art besides the brilliant colours of orange, green and red, among others," says Sukumar. Apart from the clay pot lids, Sukumar also has some masks, earthern vessels and a stool on display.

Sukumar's Shoras have drawn plaudits from senior artists. However, they point out that promotion is of key importance.