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“I only want to make the good quality….The
Masterpieces.”
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Varadaraj
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The three brothers in front of
their home and workshop (right to left) Suni, Varuna nd Varadaraj |
As a
young boy Ssrashtaa, the eldest of the three brothers who started the Bronze
Creative (known as Varadaraj) lived with his uncle in a small village in Tamil
Nadu. The house opposite his uncles was owned by a local bronze artist named
Rajan. After school every day he would go over to the Rajan’s house to visit
with him as he liked to watch him make wax models for the bronze pieces. Seeing
the young boys’ interest Rajan offered Varadaraj a job as an apprentice in his
bronze shop. He was 10 years old. Young boys often have jobs around the small
bronze casting businesses or collectives as they are called. As an entry
level apprentice he worked doing much of the menial worked needed for the daily
workings of the business. He would go to work after school and work into the
night.
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By age 14
and the 10th grade he quite school to work full time in the bronze
industry. He already showed a gift for the art and was regularly creating wax
models for the bronze pieces. This is considered the most difficult part of the
lost wax process. It requires the most skill as in artist in understanding the
overall proportion of the piece as the wax model is the foundation of the piece.
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Varun holding a wax model of Ganesh |
The second
eldest, Varunkanth (Varun) began his metal casting career with a one year
apprenticeship making metal lamps. At age 16, much like his older
brother, Varun then moved to the same small bronze casting business, Rajan
Industry, as his older brother Varadaraj did.
Sini, the
youngest, at age 15, followed the same path as his two older brothers and joined
them at Rajan Industry as an apprentice.
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Suni working on a wax model of Shiva |
When the
eldest, Varadaraj, was 20 years 1998 old he left the shop where he worked for 10
years learning the craft and started off working with his two younger brothers
behind the house where he grew up. His uncle knew of the talent of the three
brothers and offered them to start a business together an offer they accepted.
After 3 years and a failed business relationship, money always is source of
problems in India even between family, he and his two brothers, Varun, and Sini
started the Bronze Creative. The date was April 14 1998 on Tamil New Year.
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The spectacular award winning Aradhanari |
Their goal from the beginning was to make the best possible bronze sculpture.
Over the years the reputation of the Bronze Creative has grown. He and his two
brothers are largely recognized as being the best in their field as bronze
artisans. They have been pioneers in the industry developing a method of
multiple castings in which different metals are cast at separate times and at
separate temperatures creating a piece with multiple colors. This technique was
recognized by the state of Tamil Nadu in 1998-1999 when they won the state award
in sculpture. They constantly look to try new ideas and develop new ways of
looking at bronze sculpture which has largely been unchanged since the 9th
century’s first Chola Bronze pieces.
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| In
2002-2003 the Government of India looked to give Switzerland atomic energy
commission a gift for their help in establishing a Nuclear energy facility in
Tamil Nadu. They chose the Bronze Creative to make an 11 foot Nataraja
sculpture which is currently the largest single casting of a bronze Nataraja
statue in the world. They have plans to cast a 15 foot Nataraja and a 19 foot
Nataraja in the future.
These large sizes in bronze were never before possible. They have
developed a new system for the firing of the metal that allows such large
amounts of metal to be cast at once.
To learn more
visit the lost wax method process.
The three
brothers are now age 27 Varadaraj, 26 Varun and 24 Sini. Their contributions to
the bronze industry go well beyond their years.
This year they plan to win the national award for sculpture.
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Varadaraj with the model of a 15 foot
Nataraja |
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