Dinesh Chandra Kumhar

A Legacy to carry on

Born in the Family of renowned Terracotta Artist, ShilpGuru Mohanlal Kumhar who recived Padmashri, Dinesh Chandra Kumhar did not have to look further for inspiration than his own home. Starting at an early age of Eight he chose to became the part of his Centuries old family legacy of Molela Terracota Artwork.

Molela, a small village in Rajsamand, Rajasthan, is popular for its Unique Terracotta Art Plaques. Molela Terracotta is a traditional art of Votive Clay Plaques, displaying standing idols of Native Deities and numerous Vishnu forms with complete handmade clay work.

Deeply rooted in culture

Till recently, the boundaries of this art were drawn by the Tribal rituals, of worshipping deities made of clay, but during the 1980’s new interest in this traditional art brought multiple innovations into it.

Like most crafts, the standard form has been passed from generation to generation. However, today Molela artists like Dinesh Chandra Kumhar boldly depict scenes of day-to-day life in the village, such as weddings, field works, daily chores, etc. They have also experimented with amalgamation of various figures and figurines into a panoramic scene, to suit the modern taste

Dinesh Chandra Kumhar received National Merit Award for his exceptional work in Molela Terracotta art in 2019 and International Crafts award in the same Year.

His work is proudly on display on scores of Public Buildings like Udhyog Bhavan, Indira Gandhi Manav Sangrahalaya, Delhi Metro Station and Branly Musuem, France.

Presently he Passionately pursues his art at his workshop in his native village Molela.He has also worked hard to pass it on to the young generation through seminars, workshops, and summer trainings and have already guided more than 20,000 students till now.

We are Proud to showcase this celebrated artist and his amazing artwork at Hasthcraft, to bring this art and its art lovers, closer.