Carving images on soap cakes is this boy?s passion
It was always difficult to imagine any other use of soap cake except when the young artist Sudhir Sagar started using them for chiselling intricate forms. An hour is enough for him to show his skills. And it is often difficult to believe the fabulous outcome of the effort of Sudhir, the young artist who is adept in chiselling intricate forms in soap cake and chalk pieces.
It was always difficult to imagine any other use of soap cake except when the young artist Sudhir Sagar started using them for chiselling intricate forms.
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An hour is enough for him to show his skills. And it is often difficult to believe the fabulous outcome of the effort of Sudhir, the young artist who is adept in chiselling intricate forms in soap cake and chalk pieces.
Sudhir developed the skill quite unexpectedly when, according to him, he simply picked up a chalk piece and started carving figures in it. "The moment was memorable when I looked at my first carving of Ganesh on a chalk piece. Afterwards there was no looking back as I started enjoying it", said Sudhir.
Why Ganesh only? Because He is worshipped before initiating any auspicious event and there is nothing as pure and auspicious as art, says Sudhir. He uses the fine forceps used in repairing wrist watches to achieve the desired result.
"Soft soap is ideal to pursue the skill as it is easier to work upon", he said. Besides Ganesh, he also makes the carvings of Radha-Krishna and Gautam Buddha. He has presented the sculptures to Hema Malini, actor Priyanshu Chatterji, singer and composer Ravindra Jain and Hussain of 'Kumkum' fame.
Sudhir is also adept in making sand sculpture. "I also make the mud idols of goddess Durga which is installed in pandals during the Dussehra festival. As a child, the splendid idols of Maa Durga always motivated me to shape them. The effect was so overwhelming that I started retrieving information about the type of mud used in its making and other details and then I started shaping them on my own", said the talented artist. He also receives orders now which he fulfills alone without any support. "My parents are not against practicing my artistic skills but frankly I don't get any help or support from them", he said.
"Once I thought of making a stone sculpture and within moments I chose a stone lying on the street and started chiselling. The idol thus sculpted has been placed in a temple and is being worshipped as one of the deities", said Sudhir.
Till now he has received several awards from various organisations. Allahabad Musuem awarded him first prize continuously for five years in clay modelling.
Sudhir, who is just 20-year-old, has varied talents. Besides being a sculptor, his favourite pastime is to pen his poetic compositions. Till now he has written almost 500 poems which he feels should be published. He also knows kathak very well. "Being an artist I just want to continue with my passion with devotion and dedication", he said.