Angeles lladro, Vice President of the lladro, visited the Capital to exhibit the last of the Spirit of India collection and to share the joy of 60 years of excellence spelt in ceramic.She chatted with Susmita Mukherjee on this historic chapter
I would never miss a trip to India around Holi,” Angeles lladro gushed. The two-hour long interactions with the media did not reflect even slightly on her demeanour.
An ambassador of boundless luxury expressed in simplicity, lladro’s father was one of the founders of the company. “Ours is a family-run business and we take family matter as seriously as our work. Till date, our factory is based in Valencia, our hometown. We did not feel the need to move it and it serves as our headquarters from which we provide our products to 120 countries across five continents,” she shared.
The Spirit of India exhibition is a unique travelling one that showcases Indian deities like Ram, Sita, lakshman, Hanuman, lakshmi and Ganesh. Each sculpture is crafted with the essential nuances as corresponds with Indian mythology. The Balgopal and other Krishna statuette are the most heart-warming ones. The Ram Darbar section of this exhibit is targetted mainly for the upcoming festival of Diwali. The exhibit’s India journey was unveiled by Angeles lladro and Gustavo de Aristegui, Spanish ambassador to India.
The mention of the festivals of India brings a smile to Angeles lladro. “I love the colours of India, the festivals are so beautiful. It is amazing to be here and witness them. I just missed the Ganesh Chaturthi where the beautifully crafted Ganesh idols are reverentially put into water,” she said. “The Spirit of India series is actually one of our most challenging ones because of the spirited use of colours. Although we have used colours in our collections before but the Indian understanding of colour was a challenge to us. Yet we have done it. It is a great personal accomplishment,” she added.
Talking about relations between Spain and India, she shared, “I had heard a lot about this Hindi movie made on three Indian boys visiting Spain. I finally got to see it on Friday and found it a real treat. Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara is a very well-made movie and clearly shows how much the people in Spain and India have in common.” The festival presented in the movie is very close to her heart. “The Tomatina festival has been captured very beautifully in the film. I have grown up playing there and it is celebrated very close to our home at Valencia,” she said. “I am taking a copy of the film back with me to watch with my friends and family members.”
The exhibition will be on from September 15-18 at Instituto Cervantes in Connaught Place. Showcased here are some of the finest pieces of work from the house of lladro including those that have never been showcased before outside the lladro Museum.
