by Muzafar Ali
Salman Ikram‘s pots are an exploration of the
relationship between movement and time. Both in the form and surface, his pots are orchestration of geometry and
colors which tell story of the making process. This relationship between from and surface is integral to Salman’s
aesthetic approach to ceramics. It is important to him that his pots
tell the story of the hands and the fire that brought them to life.
Salman is aiming at a challenging break through within the symmetry of thrown pieces to make every piece more dynamic and sculptural.
Salman (national college of arts graduate) has an interminable passion for pottery and his exquisite pieces of ceramics have penetrating power and influence over their viewers. He said that working on a lump of clay swirling on top the ‘Wheel ‘was a pure thrill. “To give a form and a shape evolving in a mind to a lump of clay is pure bliss,” he added.
An identical shaped pot called the Vang Kuza named after the local word for a bangle was built by him with immaculate skill.
Salman said “my works is an exploration of materials and techniques which are employed to create individualistic forms, featuring a balance between shapes, texture and
colors. I usually work on a single idea expressed by not a perfect piece, but a series a limited sequence of variations on basic relationship of forms “To me, crystals seem like beautiful painting on the surface of the pots which have undergone a trail by fire several times. They have that potential for no trace something can come out of the kiln.
They are organic and they are widely varied. I find the spontaneously formed crystal patterns in the glazes to be a never ending source of delight,” he concluded.
Originally presented in Weekly Independent, June 10, 2004 issue.