Shaping gods without the gift of hand

KOLKATA: For sculptors, hands may be god''s gifts. But for Jagadish Pal, who lost his right arm as a teenager, it''s his legs that have helped him mould his dreams with clay.
Pal, a Class VI dropout, dazzles art patrons with his use of Gothic, Gallo-Roman, Roman art forms and even those of the Ajanta and Ellora schools in his Durga and Laxmi idols. He even experiments with different materials — terracotta and porcelain included — not the least encumbered by the loss of a hand.
His unique style has grabbed international attention.Nearly all his idols are exported. He is also a master in Japanese and Chinese paintings on ceramic pots.
Though his talent is recognised by prime institutes like Jadavpur University, Ceramic Institute of India and Government Art College, the creator shies away from limelight and glamour.
Not having his right hand doesn''t hurt him as much as the apathy for artists in this state, Pal says. "There is no recognition for artists. Even in Kumartuli, there are so many talented artists who live in anonymity. Nobody is interested about the human being behind such wonderful idols," he said.
Pal left Kumartuli 15 years ago to set up own studio in Rajarhat-Gopalpur. "I was experimenting with various forms, styles and materials. But soon I got aware of workings of jealousy. People started copying blindly. I want my work to be unique, a class apart," he said.
Pal had conducted classes at the ceramics department of Jadavpur University and Government Art College but couldn''t get a permanent job because he is a school dropout. "Nobody can claim to know the trade better clay idol makers," said principal of Art College Anit Kumar Ghosh.
However, the cause of art is still neglected, feels Pal. "Most of the work here can match international standards and it is Bengali artists who have the calibre to produce, merge and experiment with any form of art. But whereas in other countries artists are revered, the creators here languish in ignorance," he lamented.