A ballet in bronze

Globetrotting sculptor Raj Shahani's exquisite bronze sculptures are creating waves in the art world

It is as mesmerising as watching a live ballet — the perfectly shaped slim bodies effortlessly fluttering around the stage and lifting themselves up with their pointed shoes on reinforced toes. In their diaphanous apparel, they look almost ethereal, fragile and exquisite. And then you notice with wonder that they are sculptures of dancers standing still on small podiums, allowing us viewers to observe every pose.

“My art isn’t corrupted because I am untutored. I just go with the flow, and my gut and continue with my creations until I get the expressions and emotions the way I want,” says the New York-based sculptor Raj Shahani, talking about the 25-plus almost life-sized bronze ballet dancers he recently exhibited in Mumbai.

Telling a story

Each creation of Shahani is almost perfect. The six-packed torso of the male dancer, his highlighted thigh muscle, the perfect body of a female dancer with her long legs, the arch of her ankle or the slim neck held at a perfect angle — all are bang on. In some, you might find the arms a bit too long or the legs too thin. But the overall effect is faultless.

And this perfection is from a man who is only two years old in the world of sculpting!

All of his 30-plus years after he graduated from a Mumbai college, beginning as a salesman to setting up a now-defunct advertising agency, excelling in finance and travelling all over the world on business trips to meet people, one thing the successful businessman unconsciously did was to note every expression and emotion of the people he met.

“I am an observer and an avid non-professional photographer. I photograph everything, especially people. I also love attending performances, particularly ballet. And I take pictures of dancers. Some of them are my friends, so I request them to pose for me. But every photograph has to emote and tell a story. When I look at them later, I should be able to see the emotions and feelings of that moment,” explains the 59-year-old artist who admits that, in hindsight, all of these activities — photographing, setting up an ad agency, globetrotting — sowed the seeds of sculpting in him.

Dyslexic beginnings

“I am a high-grade dyslexic. In school, much to the bewilderment of my teachers and parents, instead of writing, I would doodle or draw something. I would hear everything the teacher said, imbibed and understood everything. But I couldn’t put down all my thoughts.

In those days, people were still not very aware of dyslexia. So no one encouraged me to draw. And though they weren’t happy with my academic performance, my parents sort of accepted it without much complaint. Now when I look at my sculptures and hear appreciation from the viewers, I feel the creative streak did start during my school and college days.”

Even the discovery that he could sculpt was an accident. Near his residence in New York, there is the Art Students League of New York, where students of all ages, backgrounds and skill levels study.

Shahani would pass by this place every day but had never thought of entering it. Once he noticed that they were holding a three-day workshop and curiosity took him in.

“I told the person who was conducting the workshop that as I didn’t have time for three days, I would attend it just for a day but pay the full amount. He agreed and asked me to select any material and start creating whatever I wanted for him to judge me. I selected clay and started creating,” recalls Shahani with a smile.

And the human form that he created not only surprised him but also others at the workshop.

He realised that this was his calling. Very early in his life, he had decided that he would retire at the age of 50 and do what he had always wanted to do, which he never could while chasing success. So the workshop came at the most opportune moment and life took an unexpected turn.

A tryst with clay

“I love wet clay. I love to dirty myself while shaping it. To mould it the way I want to and to see a shape taking place is something I look forward to,’’ says Shahani.

Once he creates the clay figures, he gives them to be cast in bronze. Shahani works diligently even with the caster. “I am a perfectionist. I want each line, each emotion and everything else to be perfect in my clay figurine. I want the vulnerability of my figures to show. So though I don’t know the art of casting in bronze, I am there to see that he does it the way I want it,” stresses Shahani.

Having tasted success and adulation, he wants to go back to the basics and train a little bit to know the nitty-gritties of sculpting. However, he wants to continue with sculpting figurines only. His future plan includes a return to Mumbai.

“I have a very loving family here — mother, brothers, sisters and extended family who are into a lot of philanthropy. I want to work with them. I am looking out for a studio and plan to start my sculpting from here,” he signs off.