I first met Ambika Beri a few years ago, which was when she invited me to curate an international ceramic residency at Art Ichol in Maihar, India.  It was an exciting idea but I was nervous to take it on. I knew it would be a lot of work and at that time I had a lot on my plate.  As the idea brewed in my head I knew I had to do it, and I really wanted to go to Art Ichol myself!! The residency studio not only looks fabulous but it is situated right in the heart of the country in Madhya Pradesh.

I have always wanted to go to Madhya Pradesh, known for its beautiful Jain and Hindu temples. The famous Khajuraho temple renowned for erotic carvings is located only an hour and a half away from Art Ichol!

Additionally, the national parks of Bandhavgarh and Panna, the home of the great Bengal tiger are also in the vicinity.

As I was working towards putting the residency together, I came across an article in the paper on Maihar. That’s when I realized it was also the home of the well-known Ustad Allaudin Khan the greatest Hindustani Classical music teacher of the 20^th century, who taught musicians such a Ravi Shankar and Ali Akbar Khan. Below are a couple of  links for the music and a 1963 film.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NdY4Wj3Fs4Y

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1alFUQfe1Dw

Ustad Allaudin Khan was the court musician in the last century to the Maharaja of Maihar. He composed several Ragas and laid the stones for the foundation of the great Maihar Gharana. But all these are side stories.  What we are really going to Madhya Pradesh for is the residency.

I have often been asked, “What is a residency”?  Having had the opportunity to do several residencies in Japan, China, Korea and India I like to describe it as a retreat and a time to explore and experiment. It is a much-needed time away from ones usual environment and responsibilities to focus and concentrate. A time for reflection on one owns own journey and a time of interaction with other artists, a time to question, debate and push ones practice further. More often than not a residency would definitely affect the artists practice in one way or another.

Through this blog I hope to capture some of the experiences we are all about to embark on. A journey filled with adventure, excitement as well as all our trials and tribulations.