Couldn’t afford art material so started making art on sand: Sudarsan Pattnaik

Sand artist Sudarsan Pattnaik had no money to buy a canvas or other material, so sand is what he used to make sculptures. Today, he is winning championships and making Guinness world record.

A self-taught artist, who has been making wonderful sculptures on sand since he was seven, Sudarsan Pattnaik is on a high after winning a gold medal at the Moscow sand art championship recently. We spoke to the 40-year-old artist, when he was in the city to participate in Odisha Parba, the three-day festival in Delhi that celebrates Odisha’s history, art, culture, culinary delights and dance forms.

Sand artist Sudarsan Pattnaik also created a sand sculpture of hockey legend Dhyan Chand in Delhi in 2016. (Sanjeev Verma/HT Photo)

Though he is a well-known face now, it was his penury during childhood that forced him to use sand as the material to create art. “If you love art, you find your way. There was a financial crunch during my childhood and I couldn’t afford any training or art material. So, I started making art on sand. It was a free-of- cost canvas for me,” says the Padma Shri awardee.

Pattnaik was lucky to have been born in Odisha, which has a long coastline on the Bay of Bengal and therefore, plenty of sand. He says, “I feel blessed to be born in Puri, which is the place of Lord Jagannath. Here, the sand doesn’t slip away and holds firm to support sculptures.”

Being an artist of international repute, feels that there should be more space dedicated to showcasing sand sculptures in India. “We need to promote sand art. This art can make our country proud,” he says, informing that Indira Gandhi National Open University IGNOU is going to start a sand art course, the first of its kind in India.

Dedicating to the labourers, sand artist Sudarsan Pattnaik made a sand sculpture at the lawns of India Gate on May 1.

Pattnaik says that he tries to use his artwork to spread awareness. “As an artist, I want my artworks to spread social messages, for instance my Labour Day art.” He loves visiting the Capital. He says, “Delhi is an amalgamation of all cultures. People here participate in traditional events. I was amazed to see the crowd and enthusiasm when I came down here for the fest.”