Exploring Asian Pottery at Center For Design Studies

CDS, Indore provided the scenic backdrop for a tantalizing showcase: “Forms of Everyday Asia,” spearheaded by Professor Kirti Trivedi, immersed viewers in nine captivating Asian countries. Through its doors, the exhibition was a visual tour of pots and pottery from Bali, China, Japan, Taiwan, Vietnam, Korea, Pakistan, and India.

The passion of the curator, department professor Kirti Trivedi for art and cross-cultural knowledge came through as he carefully selected a beautiful exhibition that showed various pots telling tales about their origin. From the intricate delicacies of Chinese porcelain to Indian terracotta’s rugged warmth, each exhibit bore testimony that objects were a cultural legacy.

The colors of Bali, the simple brilliance of Japan, and the unique motifs from Vietnam decorated CDS as a haven combining cultures. The exhibited pottery was neither a random collection of artifacts nor an assembly; it revealed the communities that have been anchored on traditions linked to making pots.

The guests wandered through the show, recognizing small disparities and obvious resemblances that separated Asia’s everyday items. The pots became carriers of cultural tales, enshrining the essence of their land. Items, starting from utility vessels in Thailand to ceremonial creations in Korea every item gave a commentary on the deep network between art life and society.

Forms of Everyday Asia was not just an exhibition; it constituted a trip through history and tradition that gave its visitors the possibility to travel back in time, penetrating into what shaped Asian civilizations. The audience in Professor Kirti Trivedi’s meticulous curation was not just passive onlookers, but active collaborators involved in a cross-cultural dialogue. The exhibition encouraged everyone to drown in the beauty of diversity making up a better awareness and sense of the shapes we are all surrounded with. 

Even though the event has passed, much of “Forms of Everyday Asia” still echoes at CDS. The exhibition has left a deep imprint on the cultural fabric of the institution, and it is nothing short of a reminder of our daily art in Asia.