Charan Sachar of Creative with Clay

Hello Dovetail shoppers and Galesburg community members! It’s been a minute since we’ve spoken through this platform! Our goal this year is to dedicate this space to artists we carry so we can all know a bit more about them, and develop a fuller appreciation of their work.

Before I introduce today’s artist, I would first like to introduce myself. My name is Louise and I was recently hired here at Dovetail. I am a recent art graduate of Knox College and current post-bacc student, and I am very grateful to be working here with Hilary in this space of amazing artists!

We are very fortunate to carry the work of Charan Sachar of Creative Clay, who fills Dovetail Rivet and Stitch with charming textile-patterned mugs, vases, and dishes. The pieces are dream-like, expertly crafted, and wonderfully warm and inviting. Charan grew up in India and is currently stationed in Washington creating these wonderful pieces. I was lucky enough to be able to interview Charan and ask him about his work!

As Dovetail Rivet and Stitch is a shop that prides itself on garnering artists from all over and introducing them to our Galesburg community, the idea of community is very important to us, and we see it in the artists we carry. Charan spoke about the art community he is a part of in Washington and what it has done for him and his craft, saying that the multitude of possibilities within pottery keep him creating and exploring with his fellow artists. The artists who have mentored him share his same mindset, and together they work to find ways to use traditional practices of pottery in a new light. This innovation helped propel him into the embroidery-inspired pieces he makes today. He spoke a bit about how he began to combine pottery and fabric arts:

“I started experimenting with different techniques such as slip decoration, which is applied like henna on the hands. The patterns I gravitated towards were paisleys and flowers that were very traditional in Indian embroidery. It was then I realized that the fabrics and embroidery I saw growing up in my mom’s boutique in India were making an appearance. So, my pottery work started with a lot of Indian embroidery pieces, which I still make. And now that I am into the fiber arts like knitting, spinning, weaving, the influence of fabric textures is even greater.” 

The blend of influences he incorporates into his work are the work of connections--making connections inside and outside of the art community, which is what Charan hopes his pieces achieve. 

My favorite part of the interview was when I asked Charan about his process, and how he came to make pottery. His interest in combining different embroidery and pottery stems from his capacity to use both sides of his brain in his art making. Charan was a software engineer before moving full time into his art practice. He explained it’s influence on his work, and how it pushes his creations: “As an engineer, I do see myself as more of a problem solver. As a creative person in the arts, I get an idea and I keep thinking about possible ways of executing it. I also factor in failure points. But then again as an artist, I know to let the process take me places as well. So my engineering brain tries to be in control with the practical side of executing an idea, and my creative side keeps wanting to push those limits.” 

These two different ways of thinking he employs in his work push him to explore further possibilities, exploring the tension between these two sides, finding ways to express dualities--right and left brain, fabric and clay. We hope to be privy to his process as he continues to explore through his immense creativity! Thank you for entrusting us with your work Charan!

You can find Charan's work in our shop or through our website, just click here.

Thank you all for reading!

Best,
Louise

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