Current Events

The Alchemy of Clay

Speaker: Ladies Study Group
Venue: Kolkata Centre for Creativity

Over the course of two rich and reflective afternoons, "The Alchemy of Clay" brought together participants eager to explore not just ceramic techniques, but the inner landscapes shaped by creative engagement. Led by acclaimed ceramic artist Falguni Bhatt, the workshop offered an immersive introduction to sculpting expressive ceramic heads — from structure to surface decoration — in an environment that encouraged experimentation and mindfulness.

The session began with a warm welcome and introductory remarks by the President of the Ladies Study Group, who set the tone with a message that was as grounding as it was inspiring. She spoke of the workshop not as a pursuit of technical perfection but as a means of reconnecting with one's intuition, stillness, and the elemental power of earth. In her words: "Clay asks us to be patient, be present, and sometimes even playful... it allows us to lead the change — taking full control and responsibility of how we choose to shape it." She introduced Falguni Bhatt as not just a ceramicist, but a storyteller and nurturer, whose deeply personal art "doesn't shout; it invites." The President also acknowledged Ambica, who was unable to attend due to the joyful milestone of becoming a grandmother, and shared that a video message prepared by her would be played for the participants.

Enu Bala delivered a heartfelt Vote of Thanks, capturing the emotional texture of the two days. She expressed deep appreciation to Falguni Bhatt for her gentle, intuitive facilitation, which allowed participants to discover new dimensions of creativity. Enu acknowledged the President's inspirational leadership and made sure that her closing words resonated with gratitude, reflection, and a hope for more such soulful encounters through the Ladies Study Group.

Day One focused on hand-building the human head — beginning with basic forms and gradually moving to facial features and expressive texture. Using clay tools, found objects, and even their own fingers, participants explored proportion, stylisation, and surface exploration with playful curiosity.

Day Two allowed for refinement — from smoothing and joining to painting with underglazes and coloured slips. Participants learned to use brushes, sponges, and even fingertips to bring out tonal variation and emotional depth in their work. The session closed with a discussion on the firing process, tying together the ephemeral nature of touch with the permanence of clay once fired.

Shalini Passi In Conversation with Devina Salarpuria and Sabina Rungta

Speaker: Devina Salarpuria and Sabina Rungta
Venue: Kolkata Centre for Creativity

In a candid and inspiring conversation with Sabina Rungta and Devina Salarpuria, Shalini Passi shared her journey marked by curiosity, creativity and inner resilience. She spoke of her passion for knowledge which became her foundation for making meaningful connections across diverse fields like art, architecture and culture.

Her love for art has been a constant and her journey as a collector began organically through personal interest in the works and stories of artists she admired.

Addressing perceptions of glamour, she shared that she has shaved her head a couple of times and didn't wear any jewellery for nearly a decade. Her wardrobe of only black and white during that period was a statement of clarity and detachment.

Ending on a note of strength and compassion, she emphasised that she believes in choosing peace over retaliation. For her, real power lies in restraint and grace.

Food for Thought

Speaker: Rujuta Diwekar & Rekha Diwekar
Venue: Indus Banquet, JW Marriott

The Ladies Study Group commenced its 2025 - 2026 season under the leadership of President Mrs Richa Agarwal with an enlightening event titled “Food for Thought“ with renowned nutritionist Rujuta Diwekar, India’s best selling health author and her mother, Professor Rekha Diwekar, a heritage food expert and a promoter of Kitchen Chemistry. The talk was moderated by Mrs Richa Agarwal and Ms Chikki Sarkar, a prominent Indian publisher and founder of Juggernaut Books.

Rujuta, celebrated for her advocacy of traditional Indian dietary practices and Prof Rekha Diwekar, engaged the audience in a thought provoking discussion on the science and culture of food, advocating the importance of embracing local, seasonal foods and the wisdom embedded in India’s culinary heritage.

Rujuta’s sense of humour was a big part of the evening making her so engaging and relatable and she often used everyday analogies to break down complex nutrition myths and challenging fad diets.

This event set an empowering tone for LSG’s new term, aligning with Mrs Agarwal’s vision to foster knowledge sharing and cultural appreciation.

At the end of the event each member went home with a signed copy of Rujuta’s latest book ‘The Commonsense Diet’.