E-Paper
Creation of AU’s ex-fine arts student set to get permanent display
Udham Singh Patel had made a huge hammer weighing around 3500 kg and measuring around 28 feet titled ‘Power of Youth’ way back in 2014 as his final year project
After a wait of eight long years, finally a sculpture made by a former fine arts student of Allahabad University (AU), Udham Singh Patel, has found Chandra Shekhar Azad Park—a suitable place in the heart of city—where it will get a permanent display.
Patel, 35, a resident of Nagaipur village under Baharia development block of Prayagraj, had made a huge hammer weighing around 3500 kg and measuring around 28 feet titled ‘Power of Youth’ way back in 2014 as his final year project. Fibre and iron grills were used as material in the sculpture.
The achievement of the poor but promising artist had led to his being honoured on different forums. In days to follow, he was assured by the officials of the district administration that his creation would be displayed at some prominent place in the city.
However, despite the promises by the then officials and even the former chief minister Akhilesh Yadav, the sculpture was gathering dust on AU campus. A few months back, Patel was asked by the head of the department of fine arts to remove the majestic hammer from the site where it was gathering dust for years as AU needed the space.
Distressed, Patel then met the vice-chairman of Prayagraj Development Authority (PDA), Arvind Singh Chauhan who promised to help him. “The efforts of the artist should not go in vain. Because of this we have shifted the huge hammer to Chandra Shekhar Park where it would be put on proper display”, said Chauhan.
“It took around seven months of hard work to create the hammer with a team of six dedicated artists led by me working on the project. The hammer weighs over 3500 kg. It is 21-feet high and 28 feet in diameter (seven feet of each four sides with a hollow left for its handle). The entire sculpture was so heavy that it took over 50 students to turn it while applying paste or painting it and installing this huge sculpture would also be a record in itself,” Patel said.
“I had taken a loan of ₹3.5 lakh from the bank under the PM Rozgar Yojna and despite having been given several assurances, my artwork was gathering dust at AU. Had it not been the timely help of the PDA VC, my dream of getting a decent display for the artwork would have never been realised,” he added.
Now the hammer is safe within the premises of the park and the PDA would soon open the same for the display after fixing the supporting handle.
