Balasore, Nov 12: A passion for terracotta art has brought a ceramic artist all the way from Poland to a small village in Odisha's Balasore district. Magdalena Kaminska, a ceramic artist from Poland, has made Chintamanipur village in the Nilagiri subdivision her temporary home to learn the traditional craft from local artisan Ramesh Muduli, whom she considers her guru.

Located under Iswarpur Panchayat in Oupada block of Nilagiri subdivision, Chintamanipur is renowned for its traditional terracotta craftsmanship. Several families in the village depend on this age-old art for their livelihood.

Ramesh Muduli, son of Kelucharan Muduli and Sumati, is one of the skilled terracotta artisans from the village. He creates a variety of earthen pots, decorative items and sculptures. His products include clay cups supplied to Bhubaneswar railway station for serving tea. He has also earned recognition for crafting intricate peacock-shaped conch shells from clay.

Ramesh's craftsmanship caught the attention of foreign visitors at a terracotta exhibition in Delhi. Magdalena Kaminska, who runs an artistic studio named Living Clay Cottage, was particularly fascinated by his clay-made peacock conch shell. Impressed by its intricate design and unique craftsmanship, she expressed a desire to learn the technique.

Ramesh agreed to teach her but told her that she would have to visit his village to learn the traditional art.

Following her arrival in Odisha, Kaminska travelled to Chintamanipur and began learning different terracotta techniques at Ramesh's workshop. She has been impressed by the hospitality of the villagers and local residents, as well as India's rich traditions and craftsmanship.

She has also developed a liking for the traditional village food of the Nilagiri region. Kaminska plans to take the terracotta techniques she learns in Odisha back to Poland and teach them to artisans in her country. She has also acknowledged Ramesh as her guru.

Speaking about the experience, Ramesh said the terracotta art and craftsmanship of Nilagiri are widely recognised both within and outside Odisha. He expressed hope that the traditional craft would now reach international audiences.

While he considers it a matter of pride to teach a foreign artist, he said the greater achievement would be taking Nilagiri's traditional clay art to the global stage.

Villagers have appreciated Ramesh for bringing international recognition to the traditional terracotta craft of the region.