In a world so exaggerated towards name, fame and glory, the one and only one who remains ignorant about it is Manmohan Mohapatra, the sand art maestro from Puri. Starting off long before 35 years, he has stood like a rock in the face of poverty and misery and nurtured this art from its infancy to adulthood. As the years pass by, it seems as if Mohapatra has subscribed to his fate and learnt to dare living amidst his most cherished and unique profession of creativity, the rarest form of art “sand art”.
“Beauty lies in the eye of the beholder” is perhaps the dictum Mohapatra goes by and that has inspired him over the years to remain loyal to this art form. The ingredients that made him a sand art professional were not merely the philosophical or psychological aspects but the simple realities, those though common, are uncommon in themselves. Reviewing the situation in 1977, it was as usual to see children making sand castles on the beaches of Puri. But it was not perhaps the same with Manmohan.
As the sand castles were giving way to the mighty tides, an artist was tracing its first light within Mohapatra. He says, “I am standing on the beach, all alone, with an empty mind and the sun going down behind the bare sea. I follow my shadow in the fading light, unmindful and shirking the reality, as if searching something that’s eager to emerge into light, and I feel something born inside, with each castle breaking loose to the nasty tide.” He started expedition to achieve the goal for making sand sculpture by utilising his labour and concentration.
Every day, it is the time of twilight when Mohapatra starts to create art at the beachside. A country like India, where most artists are so loyal to their traditions and masters that their personal style and psyche are different to diagonise, Mohapatra enjoys an exceptional status of being the founder of sand art. He was born in Puri on April 20, 1960 to a family that boasts of an artistic tradition. From his childhood he was keenly interested to learn art and that showed him light of neither from school nor from colleges but parental house.
Initially, he was able to make sleeping and sitting sculpture but at last he succeeded in his research for standing structure and utilised his talent in making different varieties of sand sculpture. The open art exhibition at Puri paved him to develop new composition of sand art. Day by day, sand art is gaining popularity. In an interview to The Pioneer, Mohapatra spoke to Sugyan Choudhury from the Puri beach while he was still lost in his making of the art:
How is sand art a distinctive form in comparison to and in contrast with other artsIJ
The creation of sand art is a great invention in the history of sculpture in India. It is a primitive art. At the dawn of civilisation, man was quite ignorant about art. Although man had a fundamental sense of sand art owing to his inherent nature, he had to depend on the materials such as stone, wood and soil for permanence; he engaged himself in creating art with the help of static or hand base. Rather, he could not reiterate after forgetting the sand art. It is no exaggeration that from his period till date, the development of the sand art was dormant despite the progress of human civilisation. Now it has gained popularity not only in India but also in countries like the US, Canada, Holland, Japan, Belgium, Spain, etc. Originating in Puri, it has spread to farthest corners of the world.
Tourists in Puri have the brisk work in the golden sea beach for relieving themselves from the worries and anxieties of the monotonous, modern life. At that time, they notice the sand art which creates a vivid picture of the art in their minds. As a result, they are attracted to the beach for a glimpse again and get mental peach and pleasure. The sea tides wash away the sculpture, but the art will remain evergreen in the minds of art lovers.
Who are the pioneers of this sand art in our country and abroadIJ
The pioneers are typically Odishan sand artists. They are Sudarshan Patnaik, Manas Sahoo, Subala Moharana from Odisha and Natho Ghachar of Gujarat. Benno Kaiser of Zurich is also an international artist who happens to be a good friend of mine. However, a few have made their marks in this art.
What is the remarkable trend in their craftsmanshipIJ
The sand art comes into being spontaneously and free, become witness to a silent dedication with ground - themes of artistic expression far away. From the conventional world of art, appreciation comes spontaneous, unexpected and without hindrance. A truthful, open work of art is in being sand art no one can buy.
How is your sand art form distinct from stone sculptureIJ Do you believe in the grammar of this artIJ
Sand art is a brittle and evanescent while stone sculpture is a relatively permanent work of art. You cannot alter and amend the sculpture once it’s formed, but you can try a hundred times with the sand art using the same material. I am reminded of a poet whose observations will be applicable in relation to the sand art: “In small proportion, we just beauties see in short measures, life may perfect be.”
What’s the future of this genreIJ What should be the roles of the State and Central Governments for sustaining this art towards posterityIJ
This art has a splendid future, especially for our budding artists if they could accept this form on a craft basis. The State and Central Governments should provide the necessary incentives like training programmes, various orientation schemes, workshops, etc. to enable young artists to embrace this as a profession, which will enable them to display this art in various national and international trade centres for earning crores of rupees and foreign exchange to our country.
Do you think that this art has a definite grammar to followIJ
Certainly. Every art form has a definite and distinct grammar. The sand art also follows a clear-cut grammar if it is to be made successful. But it is a matter of regret that although the sand art is a primitive art form, deeply embedded in the psychic residue of the collective unconscious of the human race yet no definite grammar has been laid down so far, and since it is now reviving mostly from the coasts of Odisha, we should take the lead to prepare an authoritative book on sand art grammar. Schools of sand art can flourish on Odisha’s seaside and riverside where sand art villages should be earmarked by our Government to carry out research and development on the project.