HIS job at the Delhi College of Art is to clean desks and chairs before the college begins in the mornings. For the rest of the day, his task is to run errands for professors from fetching them tea, water, a forgotten paint-brush in the staff room, to whatever strikes their fancy. Being at the beck and call of all and sundry is after all the job of a peon and the 55-year-old Sham Lal has followed no other profession.

Except sometimes when he is sure no one’s watching him, he gives vent to his passion; moulding amorphous lumps of gun-metal and terracotta into shapely sculptures. And to what effect! Sham Lal has produced some of the most beautiful and evocative animal sculptures which have won him praise not only by art critics in Delhi but also from other parts of the country. These sculptures, all made in between running errands, have been exhibited at the prestigious Triveni Art Gallery twice and won Sham Lal enormous critical acclaim.

Sham Lal has been employed as a peon in the Delhi College of Art since the last 30 years and had heaved cold sighs watching the students making sculptures. "I thought if I was educated I would be able to make the sculptures too," says the completely unlettered Sham Lal.

It was at the Sun temple in Konark 10 years ago, that hope ignited in him. Gathering courage, he asked a senior art professor if the people who made the temple sculptures were educated. ‘No’ they are not, the professor said. The conundrum had been answered. "If they could make such beautiful sculptures, why can’t I?" mused Sham Lal. He had accompanied the students and the professors on their study tour to Bhubneshwar. It was a chance trip, which was to fulfil his secret dream.

In the years to follow that incident at Konark, Sham Lal set down to making sculptures. He made sculptures of the subjects he knew best animals. He created beautiful goat, pig, horse and bull figurines. According to some critics, he is one of the best animal sculptors in India today. "His knowledge of the animal anatomy, their behaviour etc, is exceptional, says Suneet Chopra, a well-known art critic who was so impressed with Sham Lal’s work that he bought some of Sham Lal’s sculptures himself.

Making animal sculptures is a throwback to this teen years in his village in Badio, Uttar Pardesh, where he herded goats and cows to the forests. Instead of gambling with the other boys his age, he would set about moulding mud into the shapes of cows, goats and pigs. It was here that the young Sham Lal became familiar with the finer details of the animal anatomy, which now stands him in good stead. The medium used by him is metal, terracotta and sometimes wood.

An interesting aspect that runs through all his animal sculptures is that they all depict fear. Sham Lal’s goats, cows, pigs have their ears perked, necks craned for possible danger. Sham Lal explains that his own fear has been transmitted into his work. The animals were sculpted between running errands at college and Sham Lal feared his artistic pursuits may be found out and ridiculed.

"Sometimes I would be in the middle of shaping a leg or an ear when someone would shout for water. I’d have to leave immediately. This fear that someone might call me anytime has perhaps been transmitted to all my sculptures," says Sham Lal.

But despite having being universally adjudged a gifted sculptor, Sham Lal remains a peon. His wife (who is much confused by the creative mark of her husband) continues to do the rounds of posh Delhi colonies washing dishes and disposing garbage. His son is employed as a sweeper with the New Delhi Municipal Corporation.

Sham Lal’s case brings out the bleaker side of the art — world. That it is not talent and merit alone that helps. That no encouragement is forthcoming for those that need it most. Poor, illiterate and naive to the volatile and fiercely competitive world of art, perhaps there is no one who needs encouragement and guidance more than Sham Lal.

Sham Lal suffered from paralysis four years ago after his first exhibition. Whatever little he had made from the sale of his sculptures went towards his medical bills. Since he makes most of his sculptures in metal, the expense of buying the raw material which comprises gun-metal is heavy on his meagre income. Though cured, his paralysis took a heavy toll of his health and Sham Lal still has to take a steady dosage of medicines to remain fit. Given his economic-instability, his precarious health and his promising talent it would seem only natural that the government offered some grant to Sham Lal. But no such luck.

Sham Lal, a picture of humility, however, is not the one to speak about government indifference. He says he makes sculptures only to fulfil his inner desire to indulge in something creative. "I cannot make sculptures unless God helps me make them," he says gratefully." The art of making sculptures is an act of love and worship for me. I don’t like the idea of making art into commerce", he says.

In the initial years Sham Lal made sculptures but did not know their worth. Some of his sculptures which today could sell upwards of 15 thousand were given away for free as gifts to some of the college students and professors.

How does the Art College faculty he serves react to his artistic pursuits?" Most of the professors are very encouraging and give me good ideas", he says while admitting there is politics in the art-world too.

"Some people are jealous and feel that an uneducated peon is getting ahead while they being educated remain unappreciated," he says.

However no one knows better than Sham Lal that art transcends all barriers particularly the one between literacy and illiteracy. "I think of the uneducated sculptors of the Konark temple when I need any inspiration," says Sham Lal.

Photos by Subhash Bhardwaj