"Silenced": One Woman Gives a Voice to Women Around the World through her Captivating Ceramics
My passion for ceramics was sparked at the age of nine and the fascination of taking a lump of clay and making it into art. Today’s woman dreamer, Meenakshi Garodia, cultivates her passion for art to empower global women and capture the human emotion behind daily life. Creating conversation and reflection, her piece, “Silenced” explores how countless women around the world are silenced for myriad reasons, be it culture, family or gender expectations. She shares her passion behind art and her advice to young artists and creatives.
1) Tell us your story. What inspired your passion for ceramics?
My passion for ceramics was sparked at the age of nine and the fascination of taking a lump of clay and making it into art, into so many different objects, shapes, looks has never left me. My love affair with ceramics continued but when I was growing up in India, art was meant to be a hobby to be pursued in one’s spare time rather than a valid career option - that was reserved for science, economics and an MBA from a prestigious business school.
Life progressed over the years, as did my business career in management and finance. As someone said, change is the only constant in life. And changing with time and circumstances is actually the same as evolving and growing as a person. I changed countries, moving from India to the US. I became a mother, which changed me at a fundamental level.
Through it all, I kept being drawn back to ceramics for spells whenever I got a chance. I worked out of different studios all over Boston.
2) Why are you passionate about ceramics as an art form? What are some key ideas and themes present in your work?
Gradually, I came to realize that the joy I get from creative work was more important and fulfilling for me than a conventional career path. And so I chose to change again, change how I spend my time. Instead of spending my days in an office, I now concentrate on my ceramic practice, my cooking show “Veg Around the World”, and writing.
I have always found ceramics to be something I can lose myself in. I can spend hours immersed in it without realizing the time. The world today is becoming more and more digitized and multi tasked and I get great joy from the tactile experience and focusing on the here and now and what I can touch and feel.
Taking clay, dug from the depths of the earth, and molding it with my hands, to reflect my thoughts and feelings, is deeply satisfying for me. Among other things, I take great inspiration from nature. The beauty and the darkness of it. The curved line of a beautiful shell, the jagged coral, the majestic mountains scored through with ravines. I like using colored clay and porcelain for my work and prefer earthy hues.
3) What are some of your favorite pieces that you have created? How do you seek to empower women through art?
Another aspect I enjoy exploring is imperfection. I recognize and like the fact that nothing in the world is perfect. I celebrate imperfections as they are what makes each thing unique and, to me, interesting.
Exploring this led to one of my favorite series, titled “In My Head”, which was showcased at the Saheli gala of 2019. As humans, though we are all the same at a basic level, our experiences and our challenges shape our personalities in unique ways. In this series, I chronicle how these different experiences can have profound effects on us. I realize that many of my works can be uncomfortable for the viewer, and that is the intent. For example, my piece ‘Silenced’ explores how countless women around the world are silenced for myriad reasons, be it culture, family or gender expectations.
I want the world and especially the younger generation - both girls and boys -to be aware of the problems in society and fight against them. From in grained patriarchy to climate change.
In the ‘Carved’ series, I explore fluidity. I love how by a deep cut you can reveal the hidden beauty in clay, which is a metaphor for how even mundane things have hidden depths, it just needs to be explored and bought to the surface
“The Life” series also holds a special place for me. I have experimented with many different types of clay and consistencies across the pieces, but at the heart of it, this series symbolizes fire. About how every tough experience in life burns away a lot but what it leaves behind is sometimes strong, sometimes fragile but always beautiful.
4) You are also an avid cook. Tell us about your passion for cooking and your cooking show?
My cooking show “Veg Around the World” evolved in 2012 from the idea of letting the world know that there are tasty and easy ways to cook vegetarian food from all corners of the world. It came about at a time when the vegan/vegetarian craze had not yet taken off in a big way and many people in the US were not exposed to vegetarian food.
In each episode I take people on a journey to a different country and demonstrate how to cook an easy and authentic, but complete meal for that country. My personal favorites are Korean and Greek. I love experimenting and adding different flavors from many different parts of the world together to see what will turn out. There are few things in life that bring the same level of joy as really good food does. Both your favorite comfort food and something new and exciting.
5) What is your advice to young artists and creatives?
If I had to give any advice to anyone, it would be to be adventurous in your every day life. Grab the one life we have with both hands and try new things outside your comfort zone - be it food, activities, people. Or even your career. If you aren’t feeling
fulfilled in what you are doing, start by making a small change, and keep going down that path one step at a time. Your life will be radically different before you know it, and you will feel enormously empowered by having made that change happen yourself.
for more, visit https://www.meenakshigarodia.com
Check out a beautiful gallery of Meenakshi’s work below!
