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Vijay Kadam
Vijay Kadam studied sculpture in Sir JJ School of Arts and MS University, Baroda. Endowed with a lot of sculptural skill, Kadam has been working on human forms and its conceptual relationship with the surroundings, using various materials and methods. He would like to ‘add sounds’ to his works. His sculptural experiments have been varied and most of them have brought him high accolades. The subtle socio-political critique embedded in his works, makes them vibrant and interesting. The stark nakedness that he attributes to his works does not create a titillating effect, on the contrary it leads the onlooker towards the concerns that the artist wants to articulate through the material form of human body.
When and where did Vijay Kadam realize his artistic calling?
“I am born in a family of shoe makers settled in Yawat village, Pune, Maharashtra. From a very early age itself, I started fiddling with tools and materials at the workshops. I also used to design foot wears. I had good drawing skills and a special affinity for materials. When I was in school itself, I could feel that I would be studying art in future. I had heard about Sir.J.J.School of Art when I was in school.”
How did his shift from Yawat to Mumbai help him?
“Near our house there was a mountain. On the top of it there was a temple. I used to go there and admire the temple architecture and the sculptures made of granite. This had given me a feeling about the sculptural materials. Village and its ethos were too much in me and all what I did at that time were reflecting my affinity for the village life. Then came the relocation. I came to Mumbai and enrolled as a BFA student in JJ School of Art. I liked the architecture of the college. I studied them thoroughly. Mumbai life and its pace projected me into a different time frame. Actually, it helped me to contrast two realities.”
How did he take Baroda?
“In Baroda I came into contact with several contemporary artists. The faculty has a lot of working artists. All of them inspired me. I went through art history and tried to imbibe the ‘isms’. Slowly I developed confidence to develop my own ways of working. I was and still am interested in the works of N.N.Rimzon, Sudarshan Shetty, Ravinder Reddy, L.N.Tallur, Surendran Nair, Andy Goldsworthy, Damian Hirst and so on. Going through their works helped me immensely.”
How did he work during his student days?
“During my BFA I was interested only in the formal values of sculpture. After coming to Baroda I started giving importance to the subject matter also. I could develop conceptually in Baroda. I started using human bodies metaphorically and created logical relationship with the objects and the surroundings. I used my own nude body as a performative gesture in my works. I have also tried to incorporate sound in my sculptures.”
What are his projects now?
“I am doing a lot of works that could communicate with people directly. They are formally organized and certain narratives also are incorporated. But I am interested in the subtle relationship develop between the forms and its surroundings. That gives me a conceptual edge.”
What does he think about art market?
“I am very positive about it and at the same time believe that when an artist of my age, who is beginning his career, does anything thinking too much about market. It is a time for experimenting and establishing. Market has helped me in thinking big and also executing big. It gives the material freedom to experiment and engage. It is a good thing that happened for youngsters like me.” |
