|
“I only want to make the good quality….The
Masterpieces.”
-
Varadaraj
|
The three brothers
in front of their home and workshop (right to left) Suni, Varuna
nd Varadaraj |
As a young boy Ssrashtaa,
the eldest of the three brothers who started the Bronze Creative
(known as Varadaraj) lived with his uncle in a small village in
Tamil Nadu. The house opposite his uncles was owned by a local
bronze artist named Rajan. After school every day he would go
over to the Rajan’s house to visit with him as he liked to watch
him make wax models for the bronze pieces. Seeing the young
boys’ interest Rajan offered Varadaraj a job as an apprentice in
his bronze shop. He was 10 years old. Young boys often have
jobs around the small bronze casting businesses or
collectives as they are called. As an entry level
apprentice he worked doing much of the menial worked needed for
the daily workings of the business. He would go to work after
school and work into the night.
|
By age 14 and the 10th grade he quite
school to work full time in the bronze industry. He already showed a
gift for the art and was regularly creating wax models for the bronze
pieces. This is considered the most difficult part of the lost wax
process. It requires the most skill as in artist in understanding the
overall proportion of the piece as the wax model is the foundation of
the piece.
|
Varun holding a wax model of
Ganesh |
The second eldest, Varunkanth (Varun) began his metal casting
career with a one year apprenticeship making metal lamps. At
age 16, much like his older brother, Varun then moved to the
same small bronze casting business, Rajan Industry, as his older
brother Varadaraj did.
Sini, the youngest, at age 15, followed the same path as his two
older brothers and joined them at Rajan Industry as an
apprentice.
|
Suni working on a wax model of
Shiva |
When the eldest, Varadaraj, was 20 years 1998 old he left the shop where
he worked for 10 years learning the craft and started off working with
his two younger brothers behind the house where he grew up. His uncle
knew of the talent of the three brothers and offered them to start a
business together an offer they accepted. After 3 years and a failed
business relationship, money always is source of problems in India even
between family, he and his two brothers, Varun, and Sini started the
Bronze Creative. The date was April 14 1998 on Tamil New Year.
|
The spectacular award winning
Aradhanari |
Their goal from the
beginning was to make the best possible bronze sculpture. Over
the years the reputation of the Bronze Creative has grown. He
and his two brothers are largely recognized as being the best in
their field as bronze artisans. They have been pioneers in the
industry developing a method of multiple castings in which
different metals are cast at separate times and at separate
temperatures creating a piece with multiple colors. This
technique was recognized by the state of Tamil Nadu in 1998-1999
when they won the state award in sculpture. They constantly
look to try new ideas and develop new ways of looking at bronze
sculpture which has largely been unchanged since the 9th
century’s first Chola Bronze pieces.
|
In 2002-2003 the Government
of India looked to give Switzerland atomic energy commission a
gift for their help in establishing a Nuclear energy facility in
Tamil Nadu. They chose the Bronze Creative to make an 11 foot
Nataraja sculpture which is currently the largest single casting
of a bronze Nataraja statue in the world. They have plans to
cast a 15 foot Nataraja and a 19 foot Nataraja in the
future.These large sizes in bronze were never before possible.
They have developed a new system for the firing of the metal
that allows such large amounts of metal to be cast at once.
The three
brothers are now age 28 Varadaraj, 27 Varun and 25 Sini. Their
contributions to the bronze industry go well beyond their
years.
This year they plan to win the national award for sculpture.
|
Varadaraj with the model of a 15
foot Nataraja |
|
