Wonders in terracotta

The terracotta gate by Nagen at Heritage

Before one steps into the restaurant, an exquisite terracotta gate with engraving meets the eye. Enter the restaurant and you will find pillars with coloured mosaics (broken tiles).

The credit for these eye-catching works goes to clay artist Nagen Paul. The artist's works--ranging from terracotta, lamp bases, vases, masks and tiles--are on display at the restaurant. This is his first solo pottery and terracotta exhibition, where he focuses on formal shapes using two types of clays -- one normal and the other is the high temperature clay that has a glazed finish. His products are perfect for decoration as well domestic use.

So what is Nagen's USP? To quote the artist, "Unlike other such works, my clay works are not always uniformly shaped. Some of the vases, for instance, have hands, figures and flowers on them while some are shaped like sea-shells and corals."

It is precisely this quality that appeals to artist Jamal Ahmed, who was special guest at the inauguration of the exhibition. In his words, "What is remarkable about Nagen's works is his unique style and techniques."

Sculptor Hamiduzzaman Khan, chief guest, says about Nagen, "I'm glad that an exhibition has been held highlighting Nagen's best works. His exhibition is a special addition to Bangladeshi art and craft. Nagen is young and talented, I wish him all the best."

How Nagen crafted the gate and interior of the restaurant is an interesting story by itself. As the owner of Heritage Restaurant, Rizwan Bin Farouq says, "I met Nagen when I was looking for an expert potter who could work on a terracotta gate for the entrance of the restaurant. I saw photographs of the mehraab of Gaur Mosque on The Daily Star. The floral pattern on the mehraab was astounding."

Rizwan wanted something similar on the gate. He met quite a few artistes in regard to the project but liked Nagen's samples best. In August, 2003 Nagen began working on the gate and it took almost six months to finish the project. Nagen, along with his family members worked on the gate night and day to achieve the magnificent specimen that is in a sense a rarity in Dhaka's architecture.

Nagen Paul comes from a traditional potter family. He has grown up in Dhamrai, an area where pottery industry has been thriving for ages. However, this talented artist has a BBA degree from Dhaka International University. He has done a diploma in Arts from the Bulbul Academy of Fine Arts (BAFA). Nagen's studio is also in Dhamrai.