15,000 Expressions of Fragility
15,000 terracotta pieces, each sold for one rupee. Durgesh Prajapati and 14 Kumhar artisans transform traditional pottery into powerful contemporary art.
Published 28 December 2025
This has finished
- On view
- 12 December 2025 – 31 March 2026
- Times
- 10AM to 6PM (Mon to Sunday) Till March 31st, 2026
- Part of
- Kochi-Muziris Biennale 2025–26
Where
Arthshila Kochi
Art gallery · 1/298, Parade Road, Fort Kochi
Fifteen thousand terracotta pieces. Fifteen pairs of hands. One rupee each.
Artist
Durgesh Prajapati (in collaboration with 14 Kumhar artisans - Anju Prajapati, Asha Devi, Khusbu Prajapati, Maya Devi, Priti Devi, Punita Devi, Neeraj Devi, Neetu Prajapati, Reeta Devi, Ravi Prajapati, Sushila Devi, Shashi Devi, Vidyawati Devi, Chhotelal Prajapati)
Medium
Red clay, terracotta
About
Durgesh Prajapati's Expression of Fragility isn't just an installation—it's a community made visible. Born into a traditional potter family in Budhanpur, Ghazipur district of Uttar Pradesh, Prajapati has spent years working alongside the Kumhar artisans of his village to create something that extends far beyond the gallery walls.
The work takes its form from the humblest of objects: the diya (lamp), that small earthen lamp found in every Indian home. Sold for just one rupee in local markets, these tiny vessels carry the weight of entire livelihoods. Each of the 15,000 pieces in this installation represents not just skilled hands, but the precarious economics of traditional craft in contemporary India.
Working with fourteen artisans from his village—Anju Prajapati, Asha Devi, Khusbu Prajapati, Maya Devi, Priti Devi, Punita Devi, Neeraj Devi, Neetu Prajapati, Reeta Devi, Ravi Prajapati, Sushila Devi, Shashi Devi, Vidyawati Devi, and Chhotelal Prajapati—Durgesh creates what he describes as "a transition of these skills into contemporary art scenarios." The gallery becomes a bridge between village and city, tradition and innovation.
Collaboration with the community reinforces the value and importance of their traditional skills.
What makes this work powerful is its refusal to be either nostalgic or academic. Each piece carries the unique expression of its maker—no two identical, all connected. The installation transforms anonymous craft into named artistry, giving credit where galleries so often erase it.