Young ceramists casting new impressions
by Salwat Ali
Salman Ikram is a young ceramist to watch out for. A very recent graduate of NCA (1999), he has already had a solo at V.M. Gallery and he exudes the confidence of an artist who knows his mind. He creates around the vessel tradition and his thrown and mould cast pieces attest to his deft and controlled hand skills.
Blending his own recipes for low and high temperature glazes he laments: "Here opportunities are so limited and facilities so non existent that I even have to mix my own clay".
Despite this, a certain maturity is already obvious in his work. Salman is aiming for a "challenging breakthrough within the symmetry of thrown pieces to make every piece more dynamic and sculptural."
Indeed pieces like 'Spin' and 'Ocean of thought' do come within this category as they conform to basic academic norms but still carry a distinct stamp of individual expression.
The Review, DAWN, 28 September, 2000 issue, pp. 23-24
