After graduating in psychology, Rupali Madan, who had always been fascinated by the idea of sculpting, decided to get a Master’s in pottery. “I harboured a fascination for carved temples, caves and sculptures. While in Karnataka, I saw the beauty that lies in sculpting. To create something out of a block of wood or a piece of stone is a unique challenge. I hardly found any female sculptors in the stone medium,” she says. The journey wasn’t a cakewalk for Rupali, the only woman among 55 men in Karnataka where she went to study. “Having lived in Mumbai, language was also a problem. And it didn’t help that the men refused to believe a woman could work with stone,” says Rupali, among the very few artists who is trained in four mediums – stone, wood, clay and painting. Which one does she prefer? “Clay is the easiest; one can see the form taking shape with the movement of fingers and easily destroy and restart if it’s not up to the mark. It takes less time and consumes less energy. Also, clay has its own charm,” says the artist.