BENGALURU : After completing his Masters degree, Raghavendra Hegde taught architecture students for seven years from 2005 to 2012. The same year, his friend sent him a video on sand art, and thus, began his journey. In June 2010, he gave his first show, and since then, he has over 500 shows to his credit.
Just like animation, in sand art, the drawings constantly change according to the story, and is often accompanied by music. The sand artist creates images in a sequence, forming a series. He does so by applying sand on the surface and then drawing figures and lines with his hands.
A light box or an overhead projector is often used.
In order to do the above work, Raghavendra created a custom made table for himself. A camera is attached above the table to project the work onto a bigger screen for the audience. He calls this his sand art table.
According to Raghavendra, live art or visual art performances are more challenging since the work is displayed on a big screen for a large number of people. His most memorable performances, he says, were his first performance and the show he performed in front of 5 lakh people.
Raghavendra finds sand art appealing since it is eco-friendly. “There are no chemicals or waste produced before or after a performance,” he says. The stories vary from marriages and product launches, to naming ceremonies and epic stories. For example, in a marriage ceremony, the artist uses sand art to narrate the story of the couple, from the time they meet and till their wedding day. Stories like the Ramayana and Mahabharata are also illustrated on sand.
Raghavendra wishes to start a sand art academy due to its rising demand in the country. There are only four professional sand artists in the country and a handful of hobbyists. Sand art is a time consuming art form that needs practice to master.You can visit his website on www.sandartist.in