Mutable was an exhibition of ceramics and clay art in India from 1947 to 2017. The exhibition showcased a diverse range of materials, techniques and objects through the five sections at the Piramal Museum of Art, Mumbai. The exhibition mapped hereditary and studio-trained potters’ heterogeneous use of unfired, low and high-temperature fired terracotta and ceramic clay. It also exhibited works by artists who use clay as one medium among several in their repertoire, as well as tracing the work of institutions and organizations which have worked with potters across the country. Mutable accommodated objects such as tableware, installations, sculptures, instruments, idols, dolls, and experiments, which are made of ceramic and clay. Conceptually, the exhibition sought to untangle through these objects what historical meanings are imbued in words such as “artisan”, “craftsman”, “contemporary ceramics/ceramicists” and “craft”, all of which have multiple meanings and frame the objects and their makers in specific ways. Sometimes, they are used interchangeably and at other times, they represent hierarchical conceptualisations of creativity and acts of making. The outcome of this exhibition is a publication that documents all the research conducted for this project, along with cataloguing the works that were part of the exhibition. The book was co-published by Mapin in collaboration with the Piramal Art Foundation.
Link for purchase: Mutable