Sculpt as you like it

An interview with artist Harsha Durugadda

A recent conversation on zoom with contemporary artist Harsha Durugadda (b.1989) last week showcased brilliantly the artist's works of art, his practice, and his approach to creating sculpture. Streamed direct from the artist's studio based on a farm in Hyderabad, Southern India, the studio was a light-filled, exciting space full of colour and interesting objects - an illuminating backdrop to the artist's naturally enthusiastic way of talking.

Durugadda received his Master's in Arts and Aesthetics from Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi in 2016. His works are included in several permanent collections such as Bengaluru Airport, and the RMZ Foundation, Busselton, Australia to name a few. The artist works primarily with scultpture and performance, and has exhibited widely both nationally and internationally, notably at Sotheby's New York in a contemporary auction in 2021, at Nord Art Germany in 2018, CICA Museum Korea in 2022, and Sculpture by the Sea in Australia in 2017 and 201.  

Durugadda has presented a research study on Buddhist Sculpture at the British Museum in London and was the recipient of the Rio-Tinto Sculpture Award for his work ‘Column of Sound’ at Sculpture by the Sea, Australia(Cottesloe) in 2017 and the 1st Prize winner of the TAF Emerging Artist Award, London in 2023. Durugadda's work came to my attention as a result of my collaboration with The Arts Family , TAF, in London, where my former Sotheby's colleague, Neha Jaiswal, runs the highly successful TAF Award programme for emerging artists from South Asia.

Harsha Durugadda's layered wooden wonders

"My quest for searching unique and innate characteristics evident in the indigenous communities of the world has defined my work. I have great reverence for the primordial and the primitive,where life is approached with humility and respect"

As Harsha went on to explain during our conversation, he has developed a material palette using a method of layering wood, which are meticulously placed upon each other, and so the sculpture begins to take shape. Some works evoke the sound of nature, such as rain drops, or demonstrate the movement of light. Moving away from city life in Delhi, he has built himself a home in the countryside, using natural materials on an acre of land on the outskirts. The premises include an art studio and an organic farm.

Working closely with the natural rhythms of the countryside

"The artist's innovative approach to sculpture has gained him much recognition, and his recent win at TAF Art Award is a well-deserved accolade. "

The artist's nost evocative work to date is "Sound of Rain" which draws an indistinct line between form and sound. The shape stems from the splash of the rain drop where the sound of the non-uniform motion is addressed through the work. Raindrops, along with all things that fall drop to the earth because of gravity.

Durugadda is currently preparing for his solo show at Art Alive Delhi in 2024, curated by Uma Nair.