Adil Writer
Location
Auroville, India
About
An architect by education and a sculptor by choice, Adil Writer’s studio is tucked away in the forests of Auroville in south India.
Writer has curated and participated in exhibitions internationally.
His installation, “Tangled up in Blues” was recently at the delegate show of the International Academy of Ceramics (IAC) in Portugal. In January 2024, Writer facilitated “In Transit”, a parallel show at the 2nd Indian Ceramics Triennale in New Delhi, featuring works of 65 members of the IAC. At Shigaraki Park, Japan, he culminated his three-month invited residency with a solo-show titled “Himitsu Te Uso”. “In Collaboration” was a landmark duo- exhibition at Pundole’s in Bombay where he collaborated with Laxma Goud.
In 2023, Writer’s works were on show at “Multiple Realities”, at Clayarch Gimhae Museum in Korea. Writer’s fired, brick dome built at Janet Mansfield’s property, Morning View, in Gulgong in 2008, has stood the test of time!
Writer uses clay as his medium of choice for his sculptures and large-scale unfired clay- paintings, working with the fragility of porcelain and the robustness of stoneware clay bodies, firing his pieces with wood and soda vapour.
He is a member of Art Axis, NCECA and the International Academy of Ceramics, Geneva.
Artist Statement
Adil Writer’s Pangaea Day is a dynamic demonstration that explores cultural storytelling through clay. In this interactive event, Adil creates figurines or drawings inspired by different cultural traditions, with another artist completing the piece—potentially without knowing the full meaning behind the original design.
The demonstration invites observers to witness the spontaneous transformation of these artworks as they evolve in unexpected ways. Participants will also be encouraged to engage hands-on by using press-moulds to create similar figures, which they can then personalize with oxides, paints, or other media. These raw, unfired pieces will fill the space, forming a temporary installation that reflects themes of connection, creativity, and shared artistic expression.
The final installation will evoke ancient, celestial patterns, paying homage to the oldest knowledge system on Earth—astronomy. If facilities allow, the works may be low-fired and displayed in a public space. Alternatively, they can remain unfired, gradually returning to the earth, embracing the natural cycle of impermanence.
Through Pangaea Day, Adil Writer invites audiences to experience the fluid exchange of ideas, traditions, and artistic processes, highlighting the universal language of clay as a medium for storytelling and cultural connection.