<h2>I&rsquo;m all ears&nbsp;</h2>
<p>An artiste from Satara accompanied by his trusted Nandi bull put on a show at the ongoing Mann Deshi Mahotsav in Parel.</p>
<h2>The American potter from Osaka</h2>
<p><img title="John Dix at the Byculla clay studio " src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2025/feb/dos-eight-feb-b_e.jpg" alt="John Dix at the Byculla clay studio " width="1280" height="720" /><strong><em>John Dix at the Byculla clay studio</em></strong>&nbsp;</p>
<p>He might look American, but John Dix knows more of Japan than you&rsquo;d suspect. &ldquo;In Japan, pottery and ceramic art is rated higher than two-dimensional art. Historically, it was always a high art,&rdquo; shared Dix who has spent over three decades in Osaka, working on pottery in his own studio and pottery kiln. The last two weeks, the artist was in India, collaborating with fellow potter, Sandeep Manchekar.</p>
<p>&ldquo;John [Dix] is an expert in matters of Japanese aesthetics of ceramics, especially with regards to work on anagama wood kilns &mdash; kilns built on the slopes of a mountain &mdash; that give the pots a unique texture and feel. He spent two weeks on the visit talking about his art and his techniques with fellow potters,&rdquo; shared Manchekar. As for Dix, he revealed, &ldquo;Compared to Japan, Indian pottery is only now rediscovering itself as a pursuable art form. We are still in the infancy of understanding its potential. But I will be delighted to return anytime.&rdquo;&nbsp;</p>
<h2>Floral studies in scarlet</h2>
<p><img title="Visitors at the 2024 edition of the showcase; (right) tulips grown by member of the Society, Dilip Kulkarni " src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2025/feb/dos-eight-feb-c_e.jpg" alt="Visitors at the 2024 edition of the showcase; (right) tulips grown by member of the Society, Dilip Kulkarni " width="1280" height="720" /><strong><em>Visitors at the 2024 edition of the showcase; (right) tulips grown by member of the Society, Dilip Kulkarni&nbsp;</em></strong></p>
<p>The DG Ruparel College in Matunga will witness a new burst of colour and greens with the 62nd Annual Vegetables, Fruits and Flower Show that starts today. &ldquo;The exhibition features government organisations, public institutions, colleges, universities and the common public as well. The objective is to educate a young generation about the diversity in nature,&rdquo; shared Sakina Gadiwala, honorary general secretary, National Society of the Friends of the Trees. From public gardens to private green spaces, the exhibition will see competition across 32 sectors. &ldquo;The jury has already undertaken visits to many places that cannot bring their displays to the ground, while the rest will be judged here,&rdquo; added Gadiwala. Among the special mentions are a bunch of freshly bloomed tulips grown in Mumbai by Dilip Kulkarni. &ldquo;Tulips require a cooler climate that is not often found in the city, and he managed to offset it by growing them in a fridge,&rdquo; she revealed. &nbsp;</p>
<h2>Paws-ome honour</h2>
<p><img title="Maru is all smiles as he enjoys the post-retirement life. Pics Courtesy/Instagram" src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2025/feb/dos-eight-feb-d_e.jpg" alt="Maru is all smiles as he enjoys the post-retirement life. Pics Courtesy/Instagram" width="1280" height="720" /><strong><em>Maru is all smiles as he enjoys the post-retirement life. Pics Courtesy/Instagram</em></strong></p>
<p>Service dogs Maru, Rocky and Happy have spent years serving with discipline and courage, but they&rsquo;re still very good boys, alright. Post retirement, the trio is now looking for new homes through city-based Bowsome Senior Dogs India Foundation (BSDIF) and Delhi-based animal welfare group Friendicoes&rsquo;s joint effort to help senior furry friends, including those retired from forces such as RPF and CISF, find a suitable parent. &ldquo;Senior dogs deserve some extra loving given their age and the health complications. Joint pain, endocrine issues, and terminal illnesses are all causes for concern. To that end, we run comprehensive compatibility checks before handing the dogs over. A three-month-long foster period ensures the furry friends are in an environment that keeps their tails wagging,&rdquo; shared Charvi Salil, co-founder, BSDIF. Those keen to welcome Maru, Rocky or Happy into their homes, can reach out to&nbsp;<br />@bowsomeseniordogsindia.</p>
<h2>All hands on deck</h2>
<p><img title="A moment from a community wall painting session in Khar by the art collective " src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2025/feb/dos-eight-feb-e_e.jpg" alt="A moment from a community wall painting session in Khar by the art collective " width="1280" height="720" /><strong><em>A moment from a community wall painting session in Khar by the art collective&nbsp;</em></strong></p>
<p>Walls of the Muktananda Garden in Santacruz will transform into an open canvas this Sunday. An inclusive mural painting session organised by neurodivergence welfare group Saha and art collective 3Art House will witness the garden come alive with vibrant motifs and hand-painted messages. &ldquo;Painting can help individuals with neurodivergence find a sense of calm. We are in talks with the BMC to identify more walls that could use an inclusivity makeover,&rdquo; Aarti Parikh, co-founder, Saha, told us. &nbsp;</p>
<h2>Shifting thoughts</h2>
<p><img title="Leva Jasaite (left) in performance " src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2025/feb/dos-eight-feb-f_e.jpg" alt="Leva Jasaite (left) in performance " width="1280" height="720" /><strong><em>Leva Jasaite (left) in performance&nbsp;</em></strong></p>
<p>Lithuanian artiste Ieva Jasaite will bring a unique workshop to Jamaat Art in Colaba today. Inspired by Wendy Coutinho&rsquo;s ongoing exhibition, Embody, the workshop will aim to blend themes of embodiment with Jasaite&rsquo;s expertise in power yoga, movement arts and dance. &ldquo;The exhibition deeply resonated with me as a dancer. Through this workshop, I aim to help visitors shift focus from their minds to the bodies they inhabit,&rdquo; Jasaite told this diarist.</p><p>
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The American potter from Osaka

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