Personality-defining sculptures of every size to spruce up your home

You can get anything from very small pieces for your table top to massive, imposing statements of your personality that take up prime space, if your pockets are deep enough

A few years ago, Iraqi-British architect Zaha Hadid’s work of art was the toast of Sotheby’s sculpture exhibition ‘Beyond Limits’ in London. When the monumental outdoor sculpture titled “Lilas” opened, some guessed it was a mushroom, others said this pavilion-like structure was a piece of architecture, but she finally disclosed that it was inspired by the natural geometry of flower petals and leaves. That is how abstract even a life-sized object can be.

A real vehicle was cut into half to make this bike sculpture, priced at Rs 1.10 lakh. Picture Courtesy: Bhisham Chawla, Karma Lakelands

The art form with an edge

Sculpture, or plastic art, is the only branch of the visual arts that operates in three dimensions. Within this universe, there are as many themes as the minds that create them -- from body to still life, to animals, to portraits, to abstract -- in as many shapes and sizes as conceivable. In fact, a sculpture can be as gigantic as the height of an eight-storey building such as one created by India-born British sculptor Anish Kapoor in the North of Auckland or as small as a fly on the wall. According to Hardesh and Monica Chawla, Founders, Essentia Environments, “From large dimensions making a statement on their own to small ones that can be placed on table tops, there is a range of sizes and shapes that we see in sculptures.” Their work is a lot around animals. “Glossy animal sculptures made of composite material, marble or glass are all big right now. We just love animals, the horse being our personal favourite... followed by sheep and pigs,” says Monica. Materials differ for indoor and outdoor pieces -- it's Corten steel, granite, concrete for outdoor sculptures. “Metal is the trending look for our brand in 2020 and we use a lot of it in tobacco and charcoal tones,” says Monica. 

A Buddha sculpture (left) makes for a courtyard of peace at designer Payal Jain's house. She also has a Natraj in motion (right) inside her house.

What's available

Traditional forms and antique sculptures are very much in vogue. Designer couple Sachin and Neha Gupta, founders, Beyond Designs, are fond of mythological creatures like the Yalis that are seen in South Indian temples, and antique carved panels found in the north-east, apart from heads of lions, horses, and other animals. Says Sachin, “We source a lot of antique sculptures from all across India, which our customers find very attractive, as they appreciate the country's rich heritage of handcrafted traditions. The pieces add a dose of exotica to living spaces. While they come across as traditional art, they can be easily placed in any contemporary space as well.” Primarily made in wood and stone or metal, they can be sourced from old, broken down structures and are then up-cycled pieces. Antiques can never go out of fashion and always have a way of weaning their way into luxury homes.  

Metal is a rage and is being used creatively to form chic sculptures that reflect modern and post modern themes. For designer Bhisham Chawla, Director-Marketing & Sales, Karma Lakelands, most of his work such as the collection of car and bike sculptures are inspired by dramatic scenes from Bollywood and Hollywood movies. “Metal and resin are two materials I usually use. Stone composite is something I have introduced lately.” In fact he fashioned a bike sculpture from a real motorcycle that was cut into half to make the piece.

What it's made of

A wide range of material is used for making sculptures, such as clay, wax, plaster, papier-mache, granite, concrete, metal and bronze. Depending on the concept, the sculptor could use glass, mirror, wood, metal, MDF, or cotton steel. Says interior designer Sanjyt Singh, “I like to do everything conceptual. Art is an expression of your taste and should have a story behind it. A lot of design is story-telling be it a cushion, a chandelier, a light, a tattoo or a sculpture. I primarily design bespoke art based on the project. It should blend well with the identity of the space.”

Sculptures can get quirky like a zero-katta piece or a very literal representation of a pencil holder. “I have never mixed pencils of different colours in a pencil holder till date. Both my home office and my office desk have pencils of the same colour and brand. I follow this in my corporate projects too. When sourcing desk accessories, I source pencils to suit the decor of the room,” Singh says.

Designer Payal Jain likes to work with a neutral palette, which gives her the freedom to play with colour, texture, design and details. The backdrop remains monochromatic and splashes of colour are introduced through art installations, paintings, sculptures, ceramics, carpets, cushions, throws, tapestries and other textile elements.  Says Jain, “A vacant space is like a blank canvas to which a sculpture brings colour and character. Sculpture in a space is like soul to the body, it brings depth and dimension, shape and emotion."

"My home is filled with sculptures that speak to me and create a mood of their own in each space,” she adds.

Placing the piece of art 

Does one find corners that are empty or does one place them in the middle of everything? Placement depends from person to person. Chawla suggests that the head-turner piece should pe placed in the common area like the living space or dining space, as the area is the centre of focus in the home and also depict one's personality. The common area gives you freedom to play with colours, types and sizes. However, in the private or personal space, one should always opt for subtle or subdued pieces that shouldn't distract the mind. 

Pricing: sky is not the limit

Prices normally vary according to theme, provenance, sculptor's brand equity and the level of detailing. Says Gupta: “It would be hard to put a price tag on most of these sculptures, though I could say that they fall in the Rs 50,000-2,00,000 bracket, depending on the intricate nature of work. Many antique pieces are certified by the government of India and hence carry investment value.”
Anish Kapoor, whose sculpture fetched Rs 9.31 crore at Christie's, making him among the most-successful Indian artists alive, is the only one with the exclusive right to use the ‘blackest of black’ pigments in the world developed by Vantablack. Prices start at about Rs 50,000 and can go up depending on the material used and the time taken to make. "There have been instances where we've taken up to six months to finish a piece. And sculptures are definitely an investment, like any other artwork. The bigger the brand identity of the sculptor, the bigger the resale value," he says.
 

Hurun's Most Successful Indian Sculptors Alive Today 2019
Sculptor	Turnover (Rs cr)	Lots sold	Best result (Rs cr)
Anish Kapoor	168.25	102	9.31
Himmat Shah	3.36	14	1.78
Ravinder Reddy	1.51	3	0.93
A Balasubramaniam	1.26	4	0.50
Bharti Kher	1.10	3	0.47
L N Tallur	0.76	2	0.52
Ranjani Shettar	0.70	1	0.70
Dhananjay Singh	0.57	4	0.33
Rina Banerjee	0.40	4	0.14
Source: Hurun Art Report 2019