First, they take the measurements of the wall. To get the black shade, activated charcoal is added.” And then they fix it on the wall it is intended to adorn. “Based on religious preferences, people demand Last Supper, which is the most sought-after work, followed by Radha-Krishna and Krishna and calves. For the off-white colour, white soil is used. But now, we work on mainly wall cladding. For contemporary spaces, wood designs and bamboo designs are preferred. “Earlier, we used to make clay tiles. It’s not an easy job, especially during monsoons. Though its popularity slowly vanished by the mid-20th century, terracotta is back in business in modern and contemporary forms. The carving is done and they bake it in their kiln for four days.

Terracotta dates back to Roman era when people used to build pots to church domes using clay material. Then, there are orders for animal figures like cows and deer.”What attracts people to the fiery red walls? Pat comes the reply, “Durability, charm and zero maintenance. From the walls and flooring of lower middle class homes, terracotta has grown to adorn the living rooms, visitor’s lounge and roof of contemporary homes, hotels and offices,” he observes. At their workspace, they flatten clay in quarter-inch-thickness in the required size. From pottery to tiling to roofing to wall, terracotta, the literal meaning of which is ‘fired earth’, is known for its beauty, durability and economical properties. He says, “For that extra red, we add red soil to the clay. “It’s as tough as heating iron.

Sunil and his team never use colours in their works.Terracotta works are not easy. Also, some types of clay change in colour and size when baked, depending on the moisture content.The charm of terracotta is evergreen; ‘ever-earthy’, to be precise. We also get orders for family portraits in terracotta,” he says. For the first few days, we just smoke the kiln to avoid moisture retention and then the clay is burnt till it turns red hot. Based in Nilambur, Sunil and his team have been making mural art works, portraits, idols and replicas of famous paintings, all on clay.”.The choice China wholesale screws of wall art depends on clients’ needs.Walls and wall art have been the specialty of artist Sunil Babu, who has been creating wonders out of clay for the past one and a half decade. It takes 20-25 days to complete each work