Not long ago, Indians covered their walls and Varanda with Cow dung, an ode to our traditionally sustainable culture.
Modern concrete buildings and roads took over and when it rains, the water can’t get seeped into the ground due to concrete.
For centuries, Cow dung has provided a life cycle to Indian civilization, whether it’s through fuel, air purification or even serving as a natural building material.
Modern artists are turning cow dung into stunning pieces of art, incorporating aesthetics and sustainability.
Pooja Rathore, a talented artist based in Udaipur, is one such phenomenon in the cow dung art industry.
Through her project, 'Studio The Soil,' Pooja transforms ordinary natural materials like cow dung, Heena, and corn fiber into visually stunning works of art, promoting natural, earth-friendly creativity.
Let’s look at Pooja’s journey of artistic sustainability and cow dung art that is gaining applause in the world.
First Forey in Cow Dung Art:
Growing up in Jaipur, Pooja had her beginnings in the city’s rich artistic heritage.
Her childhood was marked by her father’s thoughtful artistic gifts that laid the groundwork for her future artistic pursuits.
Pooja took a formal art education in 2013 when she enrolled in a formal bachelor’s program in visual arts at IISU, Jaipur.
While getting a solid education at her college, Pooja empowered her new techniques with YouTube tutorials and online art communities.
Artists like David Kassan and Cesar Santos became invaluable resources, helping her shape her unique style.
Pooja specialized in portraiture, working freelance while moving to Udaipur. But COVID-19 sparked a shift in her artistic direction.
It was pivotal, essentially the beginning of her journey into eco-friendly art using natural methods.
The Birth of Studio The Soil:
Pooja’s natural art led to the birth of 'Studio The Soil,' a project that inculcated the desire to connect with nature. She wanted her art to have a deeper connection with the natural world.
Drawing inspiration from her childhood when she spent valuable time in fields and mud houses, she began exploring natural elements like mud, cow dung, pebbles, flowers, and even flour into her creations.
Her innovative creations blend abstract textures with natural elements to create different textures, compositions, and colors that bring a unique depth to her paintings.
Pooja explains that creating art with natural materials is a delicate process that requires patience.
She extensively experiments with various natural materials like sawdust, corn fiber, Heena, and, and charcoal to achieve a consistency that supports her imagination.
Pooja’s paintings combine all these materials to bring a texture and unique tone to the artwork.
Studio The Soil’s one of first favorite projects was a painting she created, featuring the word 'Ram' written with white charcoal, husk, and cow dung.
One of the unique factors that set Studio The Soil apart is that they source their materials directly from nature in their immediate surroundings, as much as possible.
The process of creating stunning pieces of art if about going out and getting material that reconnects with nature.
Pooja’s sustainable approach adds an extra layer of depth and meaning to her work.
A Call to Protect Our Environment:
Working with natural materials presents unique challenges as unlike synthetic paints, natural materials don’t hold onto the canvas cloth.
Natural arts require constant trial and error to find the right technique, however, she has discovered that certain natural pigments like heena can stick well to the canvas.
Cow dung, a vital material in her work is particularly challenging to work with, due to its strong smell, but it gives a unique texture to her art.
Despite the challenges, Pooja beautifully reflects Rajasthan’s natural world in a way that synthetic materials could never capture.
One of her customers, Sakshi Kalra, a software developer from Indore commissioned a painting to complement her new home’s warm and earthy aesthetic.
Her work resonates with those seeking a connection to nature and has started to find potential nature-enthusiast customers.
Pooja’s connection to nature extends beyond her art, she calls for the protection of our ecosystems.
She highlights the detrimental impact of covering the earth with concrete, which prevents rainwater from seeping into the ground and contributes to flooding.
As a new mother, Pooja is even more passionate about the environmental impact of unsustainable practices and wants to leave a better place for future generations.
Through Studio The Soil, Pooja hopes to reconnect people with nature through art and mindfulness.
Her art serves as a reminder of the beauty and fragility of our natural world, encouraging viewers to appreciate and protect it.
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