Chronicles of Mud: Hers was a purely artistic approach while he viewed cob predominantly from an angle of functionality. Inspired by the earth, chronicling a material as old as time, Amarnath Duleep and Diana Mowdawala talk about imbibing things from one another osmotically, their tryst with natural building and rediscovering cob as a medium of sculpture in an interview with Sonalee Tomar.
The most significant shift came when we began to work in tandem with one another. That has been both the most rewarding and challenging aspect of the work. It’s a constant give and take, often a tussle with the occasional bout of all-out, knives-drawn viciousness thrown in for good measure. Interestingly, it can also be a seamless symbiosis of creative spirit and affection ever so often.
Amarnath Duleep
Mandala mural by Diana Mowdawala at Geeli Mitti, Nainital. Chronicles of Mud.
Take us to the beginning of your story.
Amarnath: We met about 5 years ago at a gathering of friends near Pune. Despite being very dissimilar people, or perhaps because of it, we were drawn to each other immediately. A host of unfavourable circumstances kept us from exploring any possibility of intimacy at the time and we ended up spending a year as friends before coming to terms with what felt like an exciting but unlikely, and yet inevitable alliance.
In my early twenties I was at the peak pitch of my fixation with the mounting ecological instability and so decided to orient my life in a direction that boded well with my somewhat intemperate ideals as they were at the time. With all the gusto of youthful optimism I volunteered with Thannal Hand-sculpted Homes – a natural building awareness group doing unparalleled work out of Tiruvannamalai, Tamil Nadu. That was my first foray into natural building and cob as a medium. I was taken on-board a small project in Tiru, not far from the Thannal campus, where a cob and bamboo hut was taking shape. It was a very hands-on experience and one that opened up many doors for me.
Diana Mowdawala
Looking back now, it seems as though my journey with natural building began quite by accident. Having experienced the confines of the office for a few years, I set my sights on exploring alternative prospects that genuinely fascinated me. Amar had a project lined up in Uttarakhand and I decided to go with him, not fathoming in the slightest the drastic impact it would have on my life. There was my first interaction with natural building. We built various functional elements of an outdoor kitchen- a cob rocket stove, a cob oven and a wattle and daub shelf. During the final few days there, I ventured into sculpting a mandala out of cob.
Not believing it to be anything more than just another experiment, I placed it in a rather obscure corner of the kitchen. However, as I watched the layers of the design seemingly grow out of the mud and take shape, I knew I had found a craft worth pursuing.
The Jhopdi- featuring sgraffito art and twin-reciprocal roof. Kusur, Maharashtra
What were some of the pivotal moments?
Amarnath: There were a few pivotal moments in my journey with cob. The first was when I began exploring cob as a medium on my own, unburdened of the will or whimsy of any client, guide or overseeing authority in general. My first such pet project was this cob kiln. I was very fond of it even as ineffectual as it turned out.
The second, plausibly, was when Diana began trying her hand at the work. It added the extra dimension that only her murals could have bestowed to our collaboration and has come to give our work the flavour it has today. Hers was a purely artistic approach and I used to view cob predominantly from an angle of functionality and practicality. When you work so close together, you end up imbibing things from one another osmotically; quite often sans realisation or acknowledgement. So it wasn’t long before I was emboldened enough to almost slip into an engagement with cob as a medium of sculpture.
The most significant shift came when we began to work in tandem with one another. That has been both the most rewarding and challenging aspect of the work. It’s a constant give and take, often a tussle with the occasional bout of all-out, knives-drawn viciousness thrown in for good measure. Interestingly, it can also be a seamless symbiosis of creative spirit and affection ever so often.
Diana Mowdawala
Learning how to use natural materials such as mud and lime to create art was definitely the biggest game changer for me. Had it not been for that, I doubt I would have even considered pursuing natural building. It is also what lead to us starting Chronicles of Mud together.
Carved plaster mural by Diana Mowdawala on cob. Kusur, Maharashtra
How do you divide your roles? How do you find balance?
Amarnath: Well that depends. For the most part, we didn’t start off by assigning roles. We both knew what we were good at and more so what we were dying to get our hands dirty with. So the roles got divided based on inclination. We both gravitate towards what interests us. A lot of what interests me has to do with shaping the formal elements: the underlying structural design and the cob work. It’s 3 dimensional sculpture. I also love getting technical with my work. The learnings from mud are inexhaustible and delving into the particulars of the material is quite a satisfying process for me. I find it hard to devote my time to the slow-meditative neatness and intricacy that Diana’s artwork entails.
Diana Mowdawala
Honestly, having differing dispositions really worked to our advantage in this case. My preference lies in the more detail oriented artwork, so the sculpted murals and plaster sgraffito are my forte. Briefly explained, sculpted murals are crafted onto the main structure by shaping either cob or a thick mud plaster into the desired form. Plaster sgraffito on the other hand, is a technique wherein two or more plasters of different colours are successively applied onto the sculpted surface, and then carved through to create patterns and designs. This process with the mural artwork, be it wall sculptures or sgraffito, begins only towards the last leg of the project. I find my work to be largely a conversation with the shapes, patterns and flow already pervading through the built structure. It needs to seamlessly fit with the whole structure, yet be vocal enough to make its presence apparent.
Amarnath: I suppose it is a very chaotic manifestation of balance that can characterises our dynamic. Although we do share a great deal of chemistry, we are very different as individuals and we try to navigate our relationship as a rope walk of give and take. I guess it’s about finding that middle ground that leaves us both at least partially fulfilled. And that can be achieved only through a degree of self-reflection and compromise. The whole relationship revolves around both of us equally bearing the mantle of self-enquiry. Take that away and it can easily devolve into a daily excess of drama.
Amarnath Duleep.Chronicles of Mud. Standing atop a reciprocal roof frame
How do you deal with the uncertainty of creating something no one has aspired to?
Amarnath: You don’t teach a bird to build its nest or a colony of termites to mould their mound. Natural building perhaps is forgone as extinct among humans because the typical urban environment provides scant exposure to it. Cob in its most basic composition is a mixture of clay soil and some type of natural fibre, commonly straw, that is kneaded to a dough-like consistency using the appropriate amount of water. It’s quite literally just earth and water. And we humans have been working with it since time immemorial, continuing to reinvent it to suit the faculties and sensibilities of the times. In that sense Diana and I are far from alone in our aspirations.
Diana Mowdawala
That being said, because natural building doesn’t feature in the mainstream, it offers a much higher degree of creative freedom. We’re able to design and organise systems of working tailored to suit us. Occasionally it even allows us to indulge in slightly wilder experiments. On the flip side however, the perpetual uncertainties that arise as part and parcel of this field can be extremely overwhelming at times.
Amarnath: I think that there are certainly elements of our work that can still feel like virgin territory, and those can be daunting at times. Our work is very personal to us in that we attach a lot of meaning and symbolism to it. It’s an external process that mirrors our internal landscapes , and in turn, the health of our relationship. That can be both devastating and cathartic alike, and certainly exciting enough to want to pursue.
Cob bench beneath a reciprocal roof. Chronicles of Mud. Sculpted using site-harvested materials. Kusur, Maharashtra
What inspires you?
Amarnath: Primarily, I would say the natural world; the land, the Earth and the incredible forms she exhibits. I like a sculpted space to be as if sprouted from the soil and occupying its rightful place in the landscape. Earthy and inviting natural structures and spaces that are rendered in the clean and polished manner of the modern give me great contentment.
Another vital aspect of our work and philosophy is the localisation of material. We try to either harvest material from site or source as much as possible from the local markets. That way, not only is a minimal carbon footprint maintained, but the aforementioned aesthetic of an organically sculpted space is achievable. Natural structures can blend into the environment, almost as if an extension of the land, especially when site-harvested materials are utilised.
Diana Mowdawala
I find there is an insurmountable beauty in everything nature creates. Natural forms have the capacity to be perfect and precise while simultaneously being imperfect; by human definition of these terms at least. And I find that mind boggling. Everything in nature follows sequences and patterns that are universal – be it the growth pattern of a single plant or in the proportions of the human form or even in the spiral formations of galaxies. Concepts that are too vast or abstract for my mind to fully grasp are the ones that most seem to captivate my attention.
The Jhopdi. Chronicles of Mud. Kusur, Maharashtra
Tell us about your process.
Amarnath: In a nutshell, the process necessitates perennially seeking feedback from our own work. Some of the materials and practices we employ lack conventional precedence and so it’s important to keep observing and recording how each experiment holds up. When something doesn’t work, we try to keep our cool and channel our frustration/disappointment into learning from it and realigning our course of experimentation to match the feedback. Errors usher in clarity and certainty. Diana has her systems for recording both the successes and failures that serve as very insightful frameworks of reference and analyses.
Producing art out of natural materials ensures a constant state of learning. An intimate understanding of each material, its qualities and characteristics, is required if one is to correctly utilise it. Working with these mediums also taught me to look at myself a lot more objectively than I ever had previously. I soon came to realise how much a day’s worth of work could be affected by my thought patterns. Bullshit thinking gave birth to bullshit art- that’s simply how it was, and continues to be. So I try to observe my internal environment through every step of the way- from the conception of the design to its final execution. This approach can bring several insights about the self and the medium.
Diana Mowdawala
Amarnath
We both have our own tools for gauging personal satisfaction. I like taking a few steps back to appraise and scrutinise a sculpture from a multitude of angles as it takes shape. That way I can keep chipping, shaving, altering and adding as I find fit. I’m lucky that cob is such a forgiving medium. If at the end of the day I’m not satisfied with what has manifested, I’m likely to, and have in the past, pull down or alter drastically the product of hours of painstaking work. It’s not good when it’s done, it’s done when it’s good.
Sgrafitto detail and trim for cob oven and kitchen counter. Chronicles of Mud.
How does your audience interact and react to the work you put out into the world?
Amarnath: I’m always curious to know what people take from our work. Everybody has a different perspective and a different facet of the work that catches their interest. I will admit with more than just a tinge of pride that the most recurrent reaction has been the initial wave of disbelief. Although far from true, natural building has been unfairly branded to connote rough and rudimentary construction practices using flimsy and short-lived materials. To my great satisfaction, most people are quite nonplussed upon seeing well-finished structures made of mud. It’s fun to exceed their expectations of what my work ought to be like and even more fun being appreciated for my efforts.
Our audience usually wants to know more about our methods and materials and, save for the reluctance to divulge a few trade secrets, I enjoy answering their questions diligently. I think we can all agree that a change of perspective is very welcome in this atmosphere of ecological uncertainty. Who knows? More and more people may just switch to sustainable building alternatives like cob. I would be thrilled if my work contributed to that end.
Diana Mowdawala
My art is, as all art tends to be, highly interpretive. I enjoy the fluidity it offers, as there is no one “right” answer to what a pattern or design can mean. It’s amazing how the same motifs can be perceived so very differently by different people, and hence I prefer to not prematurely colour their perspectives by disclosing my intentions behind the art. In a way, that lets me vicariously view my own work from a fresh perspective time and time again.
Diana Mowdawala with her sgraffito art. Chronicles of Mud.
Who are your maestros?
Amarnath: With the internet at our disposal, every day brings visuals of great natural building projects from all over the world, so there is much to appreciate. We both especially love the works of Bill and Athena Steen of the Canelo Project, based in Arizona. Their signature aesthetic and pioneering style of building simple, practical and stunningly elegant structures using natural materials has served as inspiration to the both of us.
Diana Mowdawala: It should come as no surprise that I’m inclined to follow and study people that approach natural building from a more creative standpoint. It is extremely motivating to observe the journey of their evolving styles and techniques. I’m also eternally grateful to individuals and organisations who have painstakingly (or not) documented methods and processes of natural building techniques on numerous online platforms. They have been instrumental in shaping the understanding of the mediums used, and have often given us direction when we’ve made mistakes.
Sgrafitto detailing on The Jhopdi. Chronicles of Mud. Kusur, Maharashtra
How do you balance art and life?
Amarnath: Well, it’s not always a very harmonious intermingling of the two. Lines can blur when the personal and the professional get entangled and I feel it’s important to be disciplined in the management of these shared zones. My work tends to stall when the scales tip in favour of either. Too professional and I can lose the thread of creativity and find myself unable to relate to the tasks at hand. Too personal and sometimes the sun will have set before I’m done ruminating and dreaming up a course of action. It takes discipline. Both of us like mapping out the next day’s work at night and setting a course of action that correlates to our mental and emotional states of being. That way we tend to stick to our daily or weekly goals without straying too far off schedule.
What is one imperative piece of advice you would give to someone who is just starting out?
Diana Mowdawala: Get a clear idea of what you want to express through your work. Having a narrative in mind helps to create a flow that ties individual design elements to the whole. More often than not, that can really help in conceiving your own unique style.
Sgrafitto Mandala with raw crystal inlay. Chronicles of Mud. Kusur, Maharashtra
How does your interaction with a client evolve from the brief to the working-relationship?
Amarnath: I find that there are a lot of folks jumping aboard the sustainability bandwagon as it gains momentum as a fad. To be green is the new cool thing. We get more enquiries than we can handle and we don’t always find synergy with an interested party. Ideally we prefer working with people whose are genuinely involved in and engrossed by the medium as well as the process of creating a sculpted space using local natural materials. It’s also vital that they provide a degree of allowance for our creative flow.
So there is quite a bit of screening that happens from our part and we encourage our clients to do the same with us rather than unreservedly place an order. It’s not the wisest commercial philosophy by a long shot but we feel it helps both sides preserve and cultivate the meaning and significance we extend to our work.
Once a familiarity is established with the client and both sides feel comfortable with the collaborative dynamic, we move on to scoping the site for resources before putting our heads together for the conceptualisation and design. The practicalities of the execution phase are generally tackled only after these extensive interactions.
Wood-fired barbecue & grill. Chronicles of Mud. Kusur, Maharashtra.
You’ve spent a lot of time amongst the natural building community. What have you observed?
Amarnath: It’s a growing community. As awareness spreads and the conversation about the need for genuine sustainable cultures enters the mainstream, you find more people eager to explore avenues such as natural building. So there is definitely a marked increase in the number of interested parties. The idea of building a sustainable home with non-toxic and natural materials is no longer an outlandish one. In India, Thannal is doing exemplary work in reviving and perpetuating traditional techniques and practices by disseminating the knowledge of natural building through workshops and volunteering opportunities. Globally, natural buildings are beginning to adopt more and more unconventional and creative features. There is a lot of room to explore, experiment and get artistic. It’s a very exciting time for a field that holds mounting relevance in the human story.
Tree Spirit Mural. Chronicles of Mud. Tiruvannamalai, Tamil Nadu
Way forward. What are you currently working on now? What’s coming next?
Diana Mowdawala: I’m always looking to learn new techniques to apply to my artwork. Currently, my focus is on experimenting with natural mineral pigments extracted from rocks. The plan is to then turn them into paints, and even use them in plasters.
Amarnath: We have a few proposals on the drawing board at the moment, including that of a highly fuel efficient wood-fired pottery kiln made of cob. For the projects we execute ourselves, we prefer taking on smaller scale proposals so as to retain the hands-on experience that is essential to our collaboration and artwork. We also offer consultation in natural building and short workshops as services that aren’t nearly as personal to us as the hands-on work. I think we’re both looking to travel around the world, wherever the work may call us and engage with different landscapes, people, cultures and materials. One huge reason I got into natural building was because I wanted to do something that invigorated and excited me. I hope to keep that element alive as I continue to learn and evolve with my work.
Pictures credit: Amarnath Duleep and Sujay Iyer
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