The Neo Art Magazine

Last updated on February 19th, 2025 at 09:43 pm

In an era where life moves at the speed of algorithms and craftsmanship is often sacrificed for convenience, Aman Poddar carved out a sanctuary of stillness with Dve, his second solo exhibition, held on February 7–8, 2025, at the Oberoi, Delhi Golf Club. A delicate interplay of gold and watercolor, the showcase invited viewers to pause, breathe, and embrace the quiet poetry of handmade creation.

Poddar’s journey into art wasn’t predetermined; it unfolded like one of his intricate designs—layer by layer, shaped by patience. His time at the New Approach School for Jewelers in Tennessee taught him that true craftsmanship isn’t about speed but devotion. Each piece of jewelry, meticulously soldered from countless gold fragments, and each watercolor, methodically structured yet fluid, echoed the balance between control and organic imperfection.

“Automation makes things replaceable, but the human hand leaves traces—imperfections that make an object feel alive,” he mused. Through Dve, Poddar resisted the rush of modernity, offering art that demanded presence, inviting viewers to sit still, if only for a moment.

In this conversation, he reflects on the dualities that define his work—tradition and modernity, movement and stillness, creation and contemplation.

Sreerupa Sil: You transitioned from psychology and business to jewelry and painting. Did your psychology background shape the way you think about art and human perception?

Aman Poddar: No I dont think it did. My studies in psychology was a more scientific and general education and it didn’t inform the way I look at art and human perception.

 

Sreerupa: You mentioned that a master jeweler in Tennessee influenced your journey. What was the most profound lesson you learned from that experience?

Aman: I learned my craft from a jeweller in Tennessee – Blaine Lewis who taught me at New Approach School for Jewelers. I think the most important lesson was patience. One may expect that since jewellery is a small object it can be crafted quickly, but that is not the case. It requires time and constant checking from all angles to see if everything is in order.

Sreerupa: The boundaries between fine art, craft, and design are constantly shifting. Do you see your jewelry as wearable sculpture, or do you reject labels altogether?

Aman: The term ‘wearable art’ might be a bit overused, but I think my work does fall under that category. I personally refer to myself as an artist rather than a jeweller because all the works are meticulously handcrafted and designs aren’t repeated. Calling it simply jewellery, or me simply a jeweller, makes it sound more commercial to me than what it actually is. Of course, the works are for sale, but the driving force is more creative expression than commercial value.

Sreerupa: Many artists today use technology as a tool in their practice, but your work resists automation. Do you see technology as a threat to craftsmanship, or can it coexist with tradition in a meaningful way?

Aman: I think it is definitely a threat to craftsmanship. When I think of ‘craft’ or ‘craftsmanship’, I think of ‘handmade’. This is the opposite of when one thinks of automation. I think there has been a shift more towards utility rather than a human touch. Now people want things quicker, and objects are disposable or easily replaceable. Older objects seem to have been made to last and one can see the little imperfections that make them organic and feel more real in a sense – we know those imperfections are a result of being made by hand, by someone putting in time and effort into the piece. They feel more personal.

I think craftsmanship and automation can coexist, but I think there will be a greater divide than that has been in the past – handcrafted objects will be more towards the emotional, aesthetic and collectible side, while the automated will be preferred if one is looking for utility.

Sreerupa: Dve is an evocative title that means ‘two’ in Sanskrit. How does this idea of duality play out in your exhibition—between jewelry and watercolors, movement and stillness, tradition and modernity?

Aman: ‘Dve’ was selected as the title only because it is my second solo exhibition. However, if we have to look into the idea of duality, we can see that both the jewellery and water colours are different/ dual in their expressions, but share a similar process – one of meticulousness, of spending many tens of hours on a single work crafting small elements with subtle variations.

The duality between movement and stillness is more apparent in the paintings, the regular order of the smaller circles points to the stillness and presence that I would like to encourage people to seek, while there is movement in terms of shapes and colours around them which referred to the distractions within and outside our minds.

Lastly, there is a duality between tradition and modernity in that the techniques and processes are traditional but my designs are contemporary.

Sreerupa: Gold has historically been a symbol of power, wealth, and divinity. What does gold mean in your artistic language, beyond its material value?

Aman: I think gold has the ability to easily be shaped into sheets and wires, and so is quite versatile. It also has the ability to appear in a variety of colours which is something I have explored in this exhibition. Lastly, it is associated with value and makes the artwork a little bit more precious.

Sreerupa: Your watercolors have a sense of meditative repetition but also organic irregularities. Is there a particular moment in the painting process when you know a piece is complete?

Aman: My process is very methodical and I have an idea of what I want to work to be before I even start. I will generally do a little trial section on a rough piece of paper, and then multiply that for the final artwork. If there is any geometry involved I draw an outline with pencil before painting and the painting is complete once all the pre-decided elements have been painted.

Sreerupa: Would you like to share about your upcoming pieces and/or exhibitions?

Aman: I would like to say that they are made out of a desire to create, and they are derived from a visual aesthetic that is prevalent in the natural world. They are made intentionally, and with a lot of care, with the hope of the collector treasuring the works as artworks rather than simply pieces of jewellery.