© 2024 Art Village Gallery . All Rights Reserved.
OPEN CALL FOR ALL ARTISTS
Earth & Ember
An open residency for artists across disciplines
Where clay becomes the medium of making and the catalyst for expression
22 Mar 2026 - 27 Mar 2026
OPEN CALL FOR ALL ARTISTS
Where clay becomes the medium of making and the catalyst for expression
22 Mar 2026 - 27 Mar 2026
Art Village Karjat invites eight artists to Earth and Ember, a 5-day exploratory residency where clay becomes the medium of making and the catalyst for expression. This residency is designed for artists from any discipline to immerse themselves in the tactile, grounding world of clay—while simultaneously creating an artwork in their own primary medium (movement, sound, literature, paint/print, mural, theater, etc).
Across five days, artists will:
The residency emphasises cross-disciplinary exploration, a supportive environment, and an open-ended process where clay becomes the pathway to discovering new forms of expression.
At Earth and Ember, the work begins where your hands meet the earth—and continues where your inner spark begins to speak.
This residency isn’t just about clay, nor just about light. It is about the quiet space in between: the place where making becomes meaning, where form becomes feeling, and where your art form meets the raw honesty of a material that remembers every touch.
Here, clay becomes your mirror—slow, responsive, imperfect, generous. And expression becomes your ember, the warm inner vocabulary that only you can translate into movement, image, sound, word, or form.
You will create one functional clay object that holds light, and one artwork in your own medium that holds truth. The clay piece is your material exploration. The expressive artwork is your artistic response. One is made with your hands, the other with your self.
This is a residency for artists who want to listen. To their material. To their bodies. To their art form. To the small ember that glows when clay slows everything down. There is no right, no wrong—only presence, curiosity, and the courage to create from a place of honesty rather than perfection.
Earth and Ember is open to artists from any discipline who are eager to explore clay as a medium of grounding and inspiration, while creating an artwork in their own primary art form. We are seeking artists who:
7 full-time practicing artists (from any non-ceramic discipline)
1 student/part-time artist (from any non-ceramic discipline)
This residency is best suited for those who are curious, self-driven, and excited to blend clay with their own artistic language.
A core pillar of Earth and Ember is the Clay Lab—a series of guided studio sessions focused on working with terracotta, one of the oldest and most expressive ceramic materials.
Terracotta is chosen for its flexibility, responsiveness, and grounding nature. It allows the body to lead, the hands to speak freely, and form to emerge intuitively—making it an ideal material for artists exploring expression rather than perfection.
These sessions are designed to build technical confidence while leaving ample room for artistic intuition. The techniques learned here will directly support the creation of your clay-based light object and deepen your understanding of clay as a responsive, expressive medium.
In addition, a few surprise studio sessions will unfold during the residency, allowing space for play, experimentation, and discovery beyond structured techniques.
Abhishek Pandey is a contemporary artist based in Pune, India, originally from Varanasi. With a background in sculpture from Banaras Hindu University, his practice spans drawing, painting, and large-scale sculptural installations. Deeply influenced by the spiritual and historical context of his hometown, as well as his early experiences visiting sacred sites like Sarnath, Abhishek explores the intersection of form, energy, and memory.
Over the past decade, Abhishek has cultivated a process-based practice rooted in material experimentation—working with clay, wood, iron, and mixed media. His visual language often draws from sacred geometry, architecture, and psychogeography, manifesting in meditative structures that resonate with unseen energy. He has participated in several group exhibitions and artist-led residencies, and in 2025, he presented his debut solo show Tandra, which explored spatial consciousness and energetic flows.
Alongside his individual practice, Abhishek has facilitated collaborative art programs and workshops focused on material awareness and sustainable making. His studio, Kalaprabha, also functions as a community-oriented space for experimentation and dialogue. Abhishek’s current work delves into energy-responsive sculptures—forms that interact subtly with the presence of viewers or environmental vibrations. He is particularly interested in mapping invisible forces through physical structures.
Art Village Karjat, Maharashtra — a nature-immersed campus with clay studios, open landscapes, and spaces for reflection and movement.
5 intensive weekdays of clay exploration, artistic expression, reflective practice, and guided mentorship.
Full access to the Ceramic Studio, including wheels and kilns; designated areas to experiment with light-based forms; open natural spaces for grounding, sketching, sensing, and integrating your art practice. Each artist receives 10 kg of clay (5 kg experimental + 5 kg prototype).
One functional clay-based light object, one expressive artwork in your own medium, and a complete digital documentation hata denge.
All final works (clay light object + expressive artwork) will be showcased within Art Village Karjat. Expressive works may be displayed physically or digitally depending on format. Digital documentation will be archived by Art Village.
The residency follows a self-funded model, which allows us to provide an immersive, material-rich, and process-led environment without compromising on quality, support, or studio access.
Residency Fee
+ taxes
✓5-day shared shared cottage stay on campus
✓3 buffet meals per day (vegetarian)
✓Full access to the Ceramic Studio and equipment
✓10 kg of clay 7 kg of clay (experiment + prototype)
✓One bisque firing in the electric kiln (pit firing may be explored if recommended by the senior ceramic artist and agreed upon by all participants)
✓All studio tools and basic materials required for clay work
✓Light-object exploration support (candle/diya provided if chosen from residency options)
✓Workshops with the mentor (hand-building, wheel techniques, texturing, imprinting, and clay-light exploration)
✓Mentorship & guidance throughout the residency
✓Conversations & cohort circles for reflection and artistic integration
•Any alternate or special light sources (only if the artist chooses a non-provided format)
•Additional clay beyond the provided 10 kg
•Personal tools or special materials for their individual expressive artwork
Below is a gentle structure to support rhythm and flow. Artists may personalise aspects of their day based on their creative pace.
Arrival check in is scheduled at 10:00 AM and departure checkout is scheduled at 01:00 PM. Since we see this residency as a shared creative home rather than a hospitality stay, we simply ask artists to arrive around this time so the cohort can begin together in rhythm. If you need to arrive a little earlier, just let us know — we will do our best to make space for you.
Submit your application through the form below. You will receive a call if we need any clarity or if you have questions about the residency.
If shortlisted, you will be invited for a brief video conversation with the residency curator and a member of the Art Village team. This call helps us understand your artistic practice, your openness to process-led exploration, and your comfort with the reflective, non-judgmental nature of the residency.
There is no assessment of skill — only alignment of intention.
An acceptance letter means you have been selected as a suitable fit for the cohort. However, your spot is confirmed only once the first payment is made. Seats are offered on a rolling basis and confirmed in order of completed payments.
Your seat is officially reserved once the 50% initial payment is received. The remaining 50% is to be paid a week before the residency begins. After confirmation, you will be added to a small cohort group one week prior to arrival.
Take the first step towards an extraordinary collaborative experience. Fill out the form below and a team member will contact you to schedule an interview.
© 2024 Art Village Gallery . All Rights Reserved.