KOCHI: From pencil lead to small pieces of wood, grains, seeds, and soap, micro artists have always proved to the world how sharp their detail can be. Creating marvels using pencil lead, 18-year-old Harison D has entered the India Book of Records. To secure the honour, he carved out a miniature of the India Gate on pencil lead using a 0.5x0.2 cm blade on a pencil lead. He completed the task in 20.53 seconds.
Hailing from Pozhiyoor, the young artist just finished Class XII from St Joseph’s School and wants to pursue further studies at Fine Arts College, Thiruvananthapuram. It has just been two years since Harison started carving a pencil lead to form beautiful models. “I used to make micro figurines on chalk pieces when I was a Class VIII student at St Matthew’s High School, Pozhiyoor. I wanted to find a different medium where I could prove myself and create my niche. So, I thought of sculpting on pencil lead and realised that I was good at it,” says Harison.
The self-taught artist has created over 100 miniature models. Harison says he came to know about the India Book of Records from Pencil Carving Kerala, a WhatsApp group consisting of over 256 micro artists from across the state. “Though I thought of sculpting the Indian Map on pencil lead initially, I decided to carve a miniature of India Gate which stands as a tribute to the brave soldiers who sacrificed their lives for the country,” he says.
Highlighting the amount of patience and concentration required to do a micro art, Harison says, “This kind of art is both challenging and creative. While doing the miniature of India Gate, the most challenging part was to keep my deadline. Before attempting the record, I practiced several times.” You can check out Harison’s art on his Instagram handle @harison_arts. Harison is currently working towards entering the Champions Book of World Records.