The Maker
Neeraj
Terracotta · KOT JEWAR
From Kot Jewar, a village rooted in Jaipur’s pottery traditions, Neeraj Prajapati carries forward a craft shaped by everyday life.
The Prajapati tradition extends beyond vessels to bricks, tiles and the materials used to build a home.
For MRID, Neeraj explores how terracotta can move beyond its familiar forms. Madira, Mrid Rack and the terracotta plate for Grahan each test the possibilities of clay while preserving the warmth and character of fired earth.
For the Kumbh series, one of the key challenges was creating a terracotta form precise enough to work with woven cane. The clay had to retain its strength through firing while accommodating the woven material, demanding experimentation and careful refinement.
Neeraj hand-throwing MADIRA’s terracotta ice well on the potter’s wheel, shaped to precise dimensions.
Neeraj’s practice draws on an understanding of earth that is both practical and expansive. For MRID, this knowledge became an opportunity to explore terracotta beyond the expected.
"From everyday vessels to the materials of a home, Neeraj’s craft reveals how far earth can go."