Sulochana-kaki, the Spirited Septuagenarian Sculptor

Thank you, Blogadda, for picking my post for the Spicy Saturday Picks!
Readers may have seen our daughter Supriya’s painting in my earlier blogpost here.

If Supriya took a keen interest in painting, we owe it all to her “Sulochana-kaki”, Mrs. Sulochana Haldankar, a kind-hearted elderly woman who lives in our locality. We heard about the art classes, which she conducted in her house from our neighbourhood friends. It was apparent from our first meeting that “Sulochana-Kaki” was extremely talented and loved to teach the little kids residing in our locality, the basics of drawing and painting. Once at her place, she would often forget the time and be at the assigned task for several hours, until we would go over to fetch her home. That Supriya was able to get an "A" grade, both in her preliminary and intermediate arts examination held by the state can be largely attributed to her art teacher!

Sulochana-kaki at work with her portrait painting

It’s been some time now that we hadn’t called on her and we heard that Sulochana-kaki had stopped teaching kids and was busy day and night with her sculpting and painting activities in preparation for an exhibition planned to be held at the Jehangir Art Gallery! It is not often that we come across such spirited septuagenarians, who have so much to do these days, do we? So we called on her last week-end to chat up with her find out she has been doing lately.

The gallery had been booked 2 years ago and it would be another 3 years for her exhibition to be hosted, she informed. Sulochana-kaki, who turns 75 on 17th December this year, is toiling to give shape to some of her sculptures and also on some oil-on-canvas portraits of eminent public figures which some institutions in her village of Malgund want her to do.

It was really kind of her to find time from her hectic schedule and let us know how she had begun her journey into this wonderful world of creativity where her hands would pick up mud and clay and create life-like busts and statues. Fortunate to have been born in a family, which held art forms in high regard, it was not difficult for her to pick up drawing and craft. Her father was a singer and stage-artiste and her mother would encourage her to make decorative articles like cloth-dolls, rangolis, embroidery and so on, on festive occasions. But as was the norm in those days, she married at the age of 16, even before completing her matriculation in 1953. She was not allowed to leave her house for 7 years after marriage, so she had to curb her creative urge to pursue her interest in the field of art.

It was only after an incident that happened seven years into her marriage, that her husband learnt of her artistic skills, when her society organised an art exhibition and she painted a woman offering her prayers to the sacred Tulsi outside her house. This humble work singularly proved to be the proverbial key which opened up the world for her! Her husband took keen interest in developing her special skills and provided her with any art material and also encouraged her to join a 3-year Diploma at the Modern Art Institute at Dadar. After completing this course, she had the opportunity to assist an artist who worked on portraits. She then joined the JJ Institute of Fine Arts and completed her Diploma in Drawing and Painting in 1965 and her Diploma in Sculpture and Modelling in 1970 in which she secured First Class.

“You are a girl, do you really want to sculpt?” everyone would ask her. “Yes, I just don’t want to do the course for some academic diploma – I want to sculpt!” she would reply firmly. In those days, no one had heard about female sculptors apparently. Soon she put to rest the doubts in the minds of one and all when her sculpture, depicting the court scene of Shivaji, won the Gold Medal at the annual exhibition at the JJ School of Art in 1970 and another sculpture, Mother and Child won the Bronze Medal at the exhibition organised by the Sculptors Association at the Jehangir Art Gallery in 1970. She thus became one of the early women to break the clay barrier, if I may say so.

Shivaji Maharaj in his court a classic depiction of the period

The artist receiving an award from the well-known writer, Shri Mangesh Padgaonkar.

Sculpting involves hours of toil, often standing or sitting in the same position, is that not very tiring and does that not stress her out, really, one may wonder. Firstly, she is so deeply immersed in her work that she often finds herself up at it upto 3 am and some times well into the next morning! “One normally does not get tired of doing what one enjoys”, she replies “and for the stress, I do some exercises” she replied. “One should always pursue hobbies that keep one engaged”, she concludes “so today when I live alone, I don’t really live alone I have my hobby which I cannot live without.”


So much was her love for sculpting and painting, that when her nephew suggested her to begin teaching kids, she was not at all inclined to do so. How could she teach such young kids the basics now? But then her nephew had a point – “If you teach youngsters, you will keep the art alive and your students will create beautiful work more than you alone can! Moreover the satisfaction will be immense”, he persuaded.

She liked the idea, and expresses gratitude to her nephew for this suggestion. Besides immense satisfaction and adoration from her students, she has also received support and help from their parents! So it was with a heavy heart that she had to stop the classes when she learnt there was much to do and could not carry on both these activities simultaneously.

Finally it was time to leave so we informed her about my blog and that I would need some pictures I would like to put up with the write-up, and she was kind enough to provide them. “Thanks for all the trouble you’ve taken” she said as we prepared to leave.

Trouble? She also has a great sense of humour, doesn’t she?

Post-script: Must thank Supriya and Amita for joining me in doing this post!

Images of Smt. Sulochana Haldankar's work below:


Goddess Amba Devi with 18 hands her creation that has stayed with her all along!


A Panel of Child God Bala Krishna helping himself to some curds hung high up


Mother and Child sculpture


Lord Krishna playing his flute


An old photograph of the artist in her younger days with her husband along with the bust of her mother.


Swami Vivekananda's Bust and Shirdi Sai Baba
All images posted above taken by me during the visit.

All images posted below are Courtesy: Image Photo Studio, Dahisar (E)

Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru's Statue


Goddess Amba Devi another image of her majestic creation made with great devotion


A passionate piece of sculpting


Lord Ganesh - intricate and artistic depiction


A statue of Poet Keshavsut - Kavi Krushnajee Keshav Damle Interestingly, the poet never had his photograph taken and Sulochana-kaki had to depend on the sketches of another artist to create this statue to be installed in the memorial behind Bhageshwar Temple. Some trustees objected in doubt of it being really representative of the great poet's looks, but finally accepted it and still stands at the memorial at Malgund.


The Trimurti at Elephanta Caves


Lord Dattatraya


Shirdi Sai Baba Statue


A close-up snap of Amba Devi - so you can notice the detailing!