Suresh Waghmare

Suresh Waghmare

Suresh Waghmare is from Bastar, in Chhatisgarh, and is a master sculptor of Gadwakam, the traditional method of casting metal by the lost wax method. It is ancient and goes all the way back to the iconic “Dancing Girl” of Mohenjo Daro. It is also very difficult and layered : starting with a clay cast, wax is poured over, and it is on this layer of wax that the detailed artistry happens. Another coating of clay goes over this, with a hole at the bottom. When it has set, a fire is lit and the wax melts and flows out of the hole. Into this crevice goes molten metal, and when it finally hardens, the clay is broken to unveil the sculpture… A process like this means every piece is an original, and making large pieces becomes very difficult. Suresh now pushes the boundaries of his art by exploring ideas of every kind, excelling at the marriage of the traditional with the contemporary.