Playing in Clay

Shushank Shrestha: The Guardian Dogs were inspired by the guardian lions often seen in the front of temples in Nepal. These creatures are believed to possess mystical, protective powers. They were an integral part of my childhood, because I saw them every day. Whenever I saw them, I was not thinking about their mystical, protective powers. I was thinking, wow, what if I can ride on it? I used to think about the idea of traveling with it, around my imaginary world.

I also have two dogs in my house, who I think of as protectors of my house, Zinc and Kaolin. It’s a ceramic thing; Zinc is white oxide whereas Kaolin is white clay.

These two ideas were playing with me when I last went to Nepal, and in Bhaktapur, there were these two lions in front of the museum. That’s when I thought, okay, I’m going to make this in ceramic.

Uber Rat emerged from my fascination with convenience. When I first took a ride share or Uber in New York, there was nothing like that happening in Nepal. It was so convenient that you could just tap your phone and they’ll be there to pick you up and drop you to your destination. It was interesting how drivers were multitasking as well. They were talking on the phone, using GPS, even trading stocks.

I also found out there’s about three million rats in New York City, so I was looking at it as a kind of mascot for the city. Ganesha does not have a vehicle in the Rubin sculpture. I was thinking, wouldn’t a deity like him need this kind of convenience nowadays if he was here?

When I was in high school, I really loved Jackson Pollock, how he used color. In recent years, I’ve been inspired by Takashi Murakami’s work, like his flowers and 69 Arhats Beneath the Bodhi Tree. KAWS is a very playful artist, and I like Grayson Perry’s ceramic work. Bosch’s The Garden of Earthly Delights is one of my favorite paintings because it’s out of this world. I always try to think about that—how can I make a different world?

I also look at animation movies—Miyazaki’s work, all the Studio Ghibli work. Spirited Away is one of my favorites. I started watching the cartoon series Rick and Morty. Cartoons are one of my inspirations.

I take a step back. When you take a step back, I think it widens the perspective in a way. I ask myself questions and I think about the process, like, do I need to change this? Maybe it needs more support internally or externally?

And I always use my hands. If I’m building, I wave around my hands, like, okay, the head is going to be here. It’s kind of like I’m making a form with my head and trying to imagine that thing.

I also often go back to my sketchbook. Whenever I watch animated movies or cartoons, I always have a sketchbook where I draw. Sometimes it’s out of nowhere. I just draw something. And when I go back to it, it gives me the idea that this could be something I could work on now.

My main hope is that whenever people look at my work it brightens their day, or they just smile or laugh.

I went back home in June last year. I was struck by the culture, art, architectural marvels over there. I was embracing those things that I was not able to embrace when I was living in the country. It made me think about how important these things are. And it helped me infuse elements of Nepali culture into my own work as well.

What I like about ceramic, and also clay, is that it’s so malleable. When I work with clay, I feel like I can make anything that I imagine. I really like the process of firing as well. It’s such an interesting process, and it has lots of science behind it, but also I just like working with the flame, the heat you get from it.

And it’s always surprising. Every time you open the kiln, either you get a really bad result or a really exciting result. With the Guardian Dogs I had to fire it three times. You don’t always get the result at the beginning. It’s a process. You might have to work on it again and again.

What kind of reaction did you have? 

That’s the reaction I would love to get. I would also hope that the viewer looks differently at ceramics, thinking about the different processes that go into it.

Going inside the Rubin was a similar feeling I have when I go into a temple. It was kind of the same with Ganesha as well. It’s like goosebumps happening. 

I was thinking that when people go through the entrance and see these works, I want them to feel that same kind of transition happening, like in a temple. They take something joyful after looking at Ganesha and my work and then go into the other parts of the exhibition.

I always think about the concept of animism, which is a belief that every inanimate object has a spirit or soul. It helps create a deep appreciation or respect for the world we live in and the divine energy that is present around us. To illustrate this concept, I look at cartoons and Disney animations. Cartoons are not only a form of entertainment but also convey ideas and emotions that may be difficult to express through other means.

Most of my works have three eyes and lots of hands, and it signifies that heightened level of consciousness. Like whenever gods are represented with three eyes, they are in enlightened form. Why can’t we make non-living beings enlightened as well?

My work primarily draws inspiration from personal experience and nostalgic elements from childhood. While it may not directly tackle large-scale global issues, I believe it can have a subtle yet meaningful impact on individuals and communities. In today’s fast-paced world where people often find themselves overwhelmed by work and responsibility, my work aims to provide a moment of reconnection with simpler or joyful times. Just as people find solace in different kinds of activities like going to the beach or hiking or just escaping from their daily routine, I want my art to offer a similar kind of escape.

If art does not happen, there won’t be any community. That’s what’s bringing people together. Food can be art, and it brings people together. Music can be art, and it brings people together. If there is community, there will be art, and if there is art, there will be community.