20/03/2026
Andretta Artists Village: .pottery
Back in the 1920s a famous Irish actress, writer and theatre practitioner, Norah Richards, moved to Andretta after her husband had died, from Lahore where her career had taken off. She invited other artists to join her to work in this quiet, beautiful rural village, in the foothills of The Western Himalayas...
Artists such as Sardar Sobha Singh, B. C. Sanyal and Gurcharan Singh, ‘Daddyji’ of the Delhi Blue Pottery, set up studios. So it was that Mansimran Singh, Daddyji’s son, and Mary Singh, together came to settle in Andretta in the 1980s: The Andretta Pottery and Craft Society was born.
Since that time, Andretta has become a hub for potters and artists from all over India and beyond. Mini (Mansimran) and Mary began running terracotta pottery courses, attracting students from all over. Other local potters - the late Jugal Sankhyam Milapji, Kishori Lal, Rajkumar and Sureshji joined, teaching and working with Mini... and it is Shubham Sankhyam, Jugal’s son, who currently runs this pottery.
Other artists, painters, photographers, musician and filmmakers now live or come to work here. There are now four working potteries in Andretta!
It may also be considered that existentially, Andretta’s extraordinarly wonderful natural location plays a part in the artist’s work. The mountains, the forest with all its birds, insects and animals, the often tough weather conditions, all contribute to life here, and helps make this a community, not to deny there is rough with the smooth!
Mini and Mary, both 87, are deservedly acclaimed for what they achieved here over the years, and thanks to them and Andretta, all the artists showing here have been enabled to practice and develop their arts in this marvellous place.
FEATURING ARTWORKS BY:
Bianca Ballantyne
Sheila Sedgwick with
Helia Hatefi
Lipoklemla Ao
Shubham Sankhyan
Yamini J Paul
9:00 - 20:00 | OPEN TO PUBLIC VIEW
