An artist’s paradise is how potter Bipasha Sen Gupta describes Goa. Originally from Bengal, trained in Delhi, she is now based in Goa, and she is offering classes in pottery at the Carpe Diem Art Centre near Majorda, South Goa.
Bipasha says, “For me Goa is a place of freedom. It has a feel about it. My life now revolves around teaching and practicing what I love.”
An army daughter and army wife, Bipasha’s life has taken her all over India. Originally trained at the Delhi Blue Pottery Trust, she has been practising pottery for 10 years. Initially she was a visual artist, a painter working with organic materials. “The appeal of pottery,” she says, “is the ability to work in three dimensions, and create in a different way.”
This is her first time teaching, and for many students, it is their first time working in pottery. Bipasha says, “They come with immense passion, which makes the teaching all the more satisfying.”
Pottery has so much to teach us, observes Bipasha. “It doesn’t happen in a hurry. Patience is essential. Resilience, too, every time something breaks. And acceptance – of mistakes, of learning, of the work not turning out how you expected. Let it go, start again, always a new beginning. The moulding and the glazing are under our control, but once we give the clay into the fire, we must relinquish our control.”
Being at one with the material, at peace with the process, is crucial to success. “Clay can have a mind of its own,” says Bipasha. But working with it can bring immense rewards. “The skills we learn at the wheel can be applied to any aspect of life. How we want it to be. Pottery can bring a lot of peace.”
Beyond teaching, Bipasha is keen to see Goa become a place where potters and pottery gain more respect. “People are not as aware of the work and process going in to handmade ware.” To change this, she is planning a Potters Fest in Goa, November 2021, to showcase the work of Indian artisans.
“You never stop learning. And I’m delighted to have found such a non-judgemental place to share my skills and passion in.”
To find out more about the different pottery courses offered by Bipasha, contact Carpe Diem on info@carpediemgoa.com, 8888862462/0832 2881035.