Course Contents

Details

Lesson 1

Introduction of the Artist (Kalakar ka Parichay): Meet master artist Satyanarayan Suthar! Learn about his lineage, education and career trajectory that led him to become an expert on Kavad art.

Lesson 2

Introduction of the Art form (Kala ka Parichay): Learn the foundations of this age-old art and the three communities that sustain it. Reflect over how the themes and characteristics of this art can be adapted to modern use.

Lesson 3

Introduction of Materials used in Kavad: In this lesson, we will learn about all the customary and present-day materials used to make a Kavad. Follow along to make your own set of natural colours!

Lesson 4

Woodworking in Kavad: Nails, hammers and saws! Watch this lesson to learn the basic woodworking process to create your own Kavad from scratch.

Lesson 5

Painting the Base: Choose your background and get to work! In this lesson, we will be painting the base and making borders on our Kavad.

Lesson 6

Sketching the Story: Time to sketch your own story. Follow along to illustrate the two central legends of Hindu mythology, and make your own Ram-Krishna Kavad.

Lesson 7

Colouring: In this lesson, we will be filling colour in our sketches while learning about how each colour impacts the interpretation of our story’s characters.

Lesson 8

Detailing: Watch your characters come alive in this lesson. Get your paint brush ready to add in the details and embellish your Kavad.

Lesson 9

Final Finishing: Watch along as master artist Satynarayan ji adds the finishing touches to his Kavad. Add weaponry, garlands and more to embellish the characters of these epics.

Artist

Satya Narayan Suthar

Satya Narayan Suthar is a Kavad Art National Award Winner. Satyanarayan Suthar was born in Bassi, Rajasthan in 1972 and attended a local school. His father taught him the technique of Kavad making, but when he was sixteen, he had to leave home and fend for himself. He was an artisan for a business firm that exported crafts. The experience increased his productivity and sharpened his technique, giving his work a particular character. He lives in a leased flat with a workspace and a business on the ground level. In Udaipur, he produces kavads and other wooden objects for visitors and merchants. He has received several honours for his innovative efforts in the art of kavad manufacturing. He received the District award in 2004, the State award in 2009, and the National award recently.

Art Form

Kavad-art

The Kavad is a mobile story-telling device that sometimes serves as a temporary temple. It is created by combining the skills of carpentry, painting and narration. As separate professions, the carpenter is called a suthar, an artist is a chitrakar, and a story teller is a bhat. The Kavad makers combine the work of the carpenter and artist, while the Kavadia Bhats do the narration. The Kavad is made only in a village called Bassi, in Chittorgarh District of Rajasthan.

Customer Reviews

FAQs

What is the difference between Masterclasses and LIVE workshops?

Masterclasses are complete pre-recorded courses of 7-8 parts that have been researched and recorded by us at the Master artists homes. LIVE workshops happen in real time over zoom along with the Master Artist and a small like-minded group. Live workshops have different levels. We only have a few Masterclasses right now - Lippan art from Kutch and Pichwai art from Nathdwara, Rajasthan and are producing and adding more every month. While we cover more than 60 heritage art and craft forms in our live workshops already.

I am a beginner, which class would you recommend for me?

You could attend a beginner friendly live workshop (or even a masterclass if its Lippan or Pichwai you are interested in) and then join the foundations or advanced LIVE workshops. The different levels for the LIVE workshops are- Beginner, Foundations and Advanced.

Are materials included in the masterclasses and LIVE workshops?

Materials are not included in the masterclasses but you can order from our list of authentic art kits and materials in addition to the masterclass. For the live workshops, materials are included in some of the live workshops as part of the workshop and it would be mentioned in the workshop description.

What is covered in the different levels of the LIVE workshops and in the Masterclasses?

Beginner Friendly- These are usually 1-2 classes of 2 hours each and one of the simpler artworks and motifs of that art style are covered in the beginner friendly workshops as an introduction to that art form.
Foundations- In the foundations live workshops, the workshops are structured to teach you the basic motifs and foundations of that art style , the focus is not on completing a painting but the elements taught in each class are incorporated in a painting and a few different compositions are also taught
Advanced- in the Advanced live workshop, usually the focus is on completing a more elaborate and intricate painting - no basic motifs are covered in the advanced workshops.
Masterclass-A masterclass is structured as 7-8 pre-recorded classes covering introduction of the artform, introduction of the artist, introduction of the different traditional materials used in that art and then 3 artworks are usually taught ranging from beginner to intermediate.

Do I get a certificate for completing a LIVE Workshop or a Masterclass?

Yes, going forward, our platform will automatically award you a certificate on behalf of MeMeraki for completing a workshop with us and being a patron of the arts. This will be accessible via the ‘My Workshops’ section under each workshop that you have attended after Nov 2021.