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Chandresh

"Born on August 26, 1975, I hail from Jaipur, capital of the state Rajasthan where history and craftsmanship speak from every street and alley. This pink city is also where I live and work as a master craftsman of wooden sculptures, especially sandalwood. I never had a family background of wooden craftsmanship except in the case of a cousin. But once out of college in 1995, my abiding interest in fine arts propelled me to join a master wooden craftsman as an apprentice near my home. It took me almost two years to learn the craft in all its sublime details. Now I have my own establishment, supported by some other master craftsmen and apprentices to keep up with the increasing demand.

"Multifarious deities from the Hindu pantheon and historical icons occupy my theme gallery for sandalwood artifacts. To make a product we begin by cutting the hard wooden block with an electrically operated machine. The hands of expert craftsmen are so trained they scarcely need to trace outlines or use measuring taps for producing artifacts with any given shape or size. Once the block is carved into the desired shape, the main crafting - all by hand - begins; it becomes finer and finer by degrees until the facial features of deities are brought out. We are so trained we can go on reproducing every detail to the finest expression in any number of sculptures without the minutest variation. Say, in case of the statue of four-visaged Brahma, you will not find the smallest difference in any of his faces.

"Of course, we constantly labor to bring out the liveliest aspects in the embossment in our sculptures - for instance, jewelry elevated from the surface of the body. I have developed a monolith sandalwood Krishna sculpture standing wrapped in floral tendrils. Another Krishna, with intense care on facial features, appears to speak. Larger blocks of sandalwood are rated higher per cubic feet than smaller ones, and people sell even its rubble to be used in the aroma industry. But one of the formulas of my excellence is that I never compromise in the size of the wooden block and use the most optimal size to bring out the best.

"I have taught this art to the apprentices under me. I wish to constantly beautify my artifacts and bring out the best that can serve an archetype for the others to follow. I have not won any awards. I scarcely get the time to participate in any exhibitions. I supply my products to dealers in Mumbai, who have often participated in exhibitions with my products.

"I hope working with Novica will be a great experience. The discerning buyer overseas might come to appreciate the aspects in our artifacts that we have carved with greatest care and labor."