Suvankar Baral is a sculptor from Kolkata who completed both his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Visual Arts with a specialization in Sculpture. His practice engages deeply with the industrial heritage of Howrah, one of India’s oldest and most vital centers of iron casting. His works often emerge from direct observation and engagement with workers and foundries, combining research with a tactile, material-driven approach.

Crafted from cast iron and brass, “All Under the Skin” examines the physical and emotional toll of industrial labor. The sculpture juxtaposes a plastic-wrapped laborer’s foot, born of necessity and hardship, with a brass votive leg, a sacred object offered in temples for healing. Through this work, Suvankar transforms the everyday struggles of the industrial worker into a poetic act of empathy. The sculpture stands as a tribute to resilience and the unseen humanity that powers the machinery of progress.

This dialogue between the sacred and the mundane invites viewers to reflect on devotion, dignity and survival within the framework of labor. Iron, with its roughness and rawness, becomes a metaphor for endurance, while brass brings a quiet sanctity to the piece.