"Das says his customers want to keep hold of their loved one in some way. For many, he says, it's about managing death and loss. Often dressed in a favourite outfit or sari, the figures stand or sit in the home they once lived, in a familiar spot or chair. To the family, they are human—almost human, Das says."
"They see how we have made [their mother], how she wears her special jewellery—her sari, and they see we have made the eyes perfect, and they and I get very emotional. Das aims to make the figures hyper-realistic, and he uses real human hair."
Subi Creative House, located near Dum Dum Junction in Kolkata, operates as a specialized workshop creating lifesize replicas of religious icons, cultural figures, and notably, custom-made replicas of deceased individuals. Led by Subimal Das and a team of 80 artisans, the workshop constructs hyper-realistic 30kg figures using clay, fiberglass, and silicon. Widows and widowers commission these replicas by providing photographs, receiving finished figures several months later. Each replica costs approximately 2.5 lakh rupees. The figures are dressed in favorite clothing and positioned in familiar household locations, serving as a means for families to manage grief and maintain connection with deceased loved ones. Das emphasizes the emotional significance of his work, using real human hair and meticulous attention to detail to create figures that families describe as almost human.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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