India, Oct. 30 -- Ceramics are perhaps the oldest signs of civilisation. We've found pottery shards at Harappan sites, and in almost every corner of the world. And yet, artists today are still playing with the form, moulding earth and clay, adding minerals, using paint glazes and firing up the kiln, hoping for a miracle.

The appeal of clay as a medium lies in two things. The first is its connection with all five elements, especially earth, because we come from it and return to it. Whatever is made of clay is impermanent, mimicking the cycle of life itself. Second is the unpredictability of the outcome. Being able to shape and mould clay in one's hands may give the illusion of control, but as any potter will tell you, one never knows what...