Suresh Waghmare

Suresh Waghmare, from Bastar, Chhatisgarh, is an expert at Gadwakam, the ancient ‘lost wax’ method of casting metal that goes all the way back to the iconic Dancing Girl of Mohenjo Daro. Gadwakam is a painstaking process that starts with a clay cast on which wax is poured and intricately detailed, and a layer of clay added, with a hole at the bottom; once this sets, a fire is lit so the wax melts and flows out of the hole, and into this crevice goes molten metal; when it finally hardens, the clay is broken to unveil the sculpture. Such a process means every piece is unique, and making large pieces requires immense skill. Gadwakam is traditionally used to craft idols, jewellery, items of utility, oil lamps and more. Suresh pushes the boundaries of his art, excelling at the marriage of the traditional with the contemporary.