Remembering sculptor Latika Katt: An inspiring journey of art and resilience

Rajeev Lochan

I callback Latika’s father, B N Sharma, arsenic having studied astatine the Banaras Hindu University (BHU). One of her distant relatives, an creator who had studied astatine the Lucknow College of Art and was based successful Banaras, possibly remained the main information for her to person joined the BHU to survey art. It was determination that she besides met her mentor-husband Balbir Singh Katt, a dynamic sculptor of repute.

When she joined the M S University of Baroda to prosecute her Master’s successful sculpture successful 1973, I was a fresher successful my second-year foundation. I have, therefore, been a adjacent witnesser to her sculptural engagements and the precise inception of her bid Metamorphosis. This included her earliest metallic casting, which she accomplished nether Rajnikant Panchal, an eminent metallic caster who was portion of the faculty, portion Mahendra Pandya, the then-head of the sculpture department, motivated her immensely.

Her involvement successful nature, its diversity, and multiplicity on with experiential imaginable are amply suggestive and disposable successful her originative pursuits. Her bid of works, Evolution, Deterioration, Fields bespeak her heavy involvement successful the integrated translation of signifier and spirit, palpable and mouldable done her hands and immortalised successful the divers mean and materials that she utilized arsenic portion of her originative expression.

Her father’s heavy power and inspiration arsenic a botanist and French maestro Auguste Rodin’s sculptural strength, which she immensely admired and openly acknowledged, are amply disposable arsenic a continuous thread successful her assemblage of work. Her dependable knowing and accomplishment successful handling typical expression, some successful standard and magnitude, carnivore ample grounds done immoderate of the ample sculptural and monumental works she created during her career.

Our paths continued to transverse erstwhile we some joined the module of Fine Arts astatine the Jamia Millia Islamia University, wherever she taught sculpture and I was successful the coating department, and during my tenure arsenic the manager of the National assemblage of Modern Art. Her enactment and property were a large root of inspiration and power connected young minds, successful peculiar connected women artists aspiring to beryllium practitioners of the discipline.

But she soon returned to Banaras to acceptable up her ample sculpture workplace connected the banks of the Ganges arsenic an autarkic sculptor. This is wherever she created a ample assemblage of her works successful divers mediums with large vigour. Notable is her conceptualisation for the Ministry of Culture, a ample and monumental sculptural monument devoted to commemorating the Dandi March. She had been shortlisted and selected from respective important sculptors of the state done a nationalist enactment process during my tenure arsenic the director. Unfortunately, this task did not materialise, but respective different important commissions of akin magnitude and standard were executed by her and are installed each implicit the state astatine important nationalist venues.

Latika was a committed and determined soul, tough, resilient and focused, arsenic talented and accomplished successful ensuring the eventual realisation of her perceptions. A workaholic, her lone aspiration successful beingness appeared to beryllium her originative adventures with a committedness that remains unparalleled successful our property and time; successful particular, arsenic a pistillate practitioner of a mean that requires large carnal effort and dedication.

She went with her boots on, conscionable the mode she would person loved to. She was successful Jaipur for the unveiling of “The Sculpture Park” astatine the Jaigarh fort for which she had been invited on with different eminent sculptors. She lived and created connected her ain presumption and parted from the satellite successful her ain unassuming fashion. Her sculptural works and her persona volition stay successful our memories arsenic a information — successful beingness and art.

The writer is an creator and erstwhile director, National Gallery of Modern Art