Old craft, new sound: Nilambur artist reinvents pottery with terracotta amplifiers

No wires, batteries or electricity. For young terracotta artist Sivaprakash, a mobile phone and the natural resonance of clay are enough to fill a room with music.

His latest creation, a handcrafted terracotta acoustic amplifier, turns the age-old craft of pottery into a simple, eco-friendly sound system. Place a mobile phone into the clay amplifier, and its carefully designed form naturally amplifies the sound, merging traditional craftsmanship with acoustics and contemporary utility.

Sivaprakash first experimented with a clay amplifier in 2019 while working as a master craftsman during a pottery training programme. The idea came after he spotted a bamboo speaker at an exhibition and began exploring acoustic speaker designs. What started as small stereo models of his own design gradually evolved into larger mono amplifiers shaped like traditional speakers, embellished with cane patterns and Warli art.

Thus, Shivaprakash carries his family's generational pottery tradition by blending it with modern concepts. Growing up in his family's creative studio, he has embraced traditional craftsmanship as his life's mission. During his school years, in addition to pottery-making, he trained in Chenda percussion and performed on various stages. Even as a field engineer, he continued his training at the family-owned Clay Hands Pottery Studio in Nilambur under the guidance of his father, Chami, and mother, Muthu, further strengthening his bond with traditional craft.

A turning point in his artistic journey came when he presented a live pottery demonstration for the first time at an international craft fair held at Kozhikode’s Sargaalaya Kerala Arts and Crafts Village, following an invitation from his brother Sivadasan, a product designer at Sargaalaya. This experience inspired him to dedicate himself to preserving and modernising Kerala's pottery heritage.

Subsequently, as part of the Rural Art Hub project by the Kerala Government's Department of Cultural Affairs, he completed three months of intensive training at Sargalaya under the guidance of expert master craftsmen. This training helped him participate in craft fairs across the country and understand market trends, consumer needs, and the potential for contemporary terracotta products.

At the age of 21, while working as a pottery instructor in Vadayar, Kottayam district, he trained numerous students in traditional pottery techniques and the design of creative clay products. Through his pottery studio in Nilambur, he creates customised terracotta sculptures, traditional pots, miniature arts and sculptures, terracotta acoustic amplifiers and clay pillars. He also organises pottery wheel training and hand-building workshops for beginners and art enthusiasts.

“Some people see this as time-consuming and not worth the effort. They see this as a type of blue-collar job. But as an artist, more than monetary benefit, preserving our culture for the future generation is of primary importance,” says Sivaprakash.

Since 2021, Sivaprakash has been serving as a Terracotta Master Craftsman at the Kerala Arts and Crafts Village in Kovalam. The acoustic amplifiers are made here as well. He has shown exceptional skill in creating incredibly detailed handmade miniatures ranging from just 1 centimetre to as small as 4 millimetres.

Sivaprakash intends to introduce Kerala's traditional pottery art to the world through new forms and expressions, while preserving this heritage for future generations. His creations, where tradition meets innovation, are seen as providing new hope and energy to Kerala's handicraft sector.