KOCHI: For Biju C G, carving soap sculptures of different shapes and themes has been a passion for long time. However, during this lockdown period, he has been indulging in the art to relieve some stress. “Sculpting soap has become a great stress-buster for me, especially since our daily lives have changed completely due to the pandemic. Art has the ability to heal anything and I am finding solace in my art,” says Biju, who is currently in Qatar and waiting to return home through the ‘Vande Bharat Mission.’
Biju, who hails from the capital city is a 3D visualiser by profession. However, it has been more than 14 years since he started making sculptures from bath soaps. He has made different figurines on soap bars, including personalities like Mahatma Gandhi, Sachin Tendulkar, A P J Abdul Kalam and also miniature figurines such as King Cobra, turtle, eagle and other creatures. But right now, he is attempting to highlight some of the most widely discussed incidents and stories in the wake of Covid-19.
Be it the ‘Break the Chain’ campaign of Kerala government, with a message to wash hands, aiming to combat the spread of the virus, or the highly controversial case of George Floyd’s death in Minneapolis, Biju is documenting important events through his soap figurines during his lockdown days in Qatar. “Earlier, I used to do soap sculptures during short breaks I got between work. But, since the pandemic began, I have got a lot of time. And this is helping me overcome the depressing developments around the world. Although I have done soap sculptures on special occasions or to highlight social issues, this time I thought of choosing a concept based on the pandemic,” he says.
Biju has done about nine soap sculptures, highlighting many important incidents. All the sculptures have been done using a single soap bar. “Lot of patience and concentration is needed while carving on soap. A design once carved cannot be altered. This itself is something which makes this art unique. Also, there are limitations of using colouring materials as it depends on the types of soap available,” says the artist.
Biju’s lockdown series collection also includes ‘I trusted you human’, a sculpture of the elephant which died after eating pineapples filled with fire crackers. The artist opines that some of his works have also been criticised on social media. “ My soap sculpture on the image of George Floyd being choked by police got many criticisms on social media. Many Europeans suggested that I should have instead gone for a portrait of George Floyd,” shares Biju.
His latest sculpture is a tribute to Nithin Chandran, an engineer in Dubai who waged a battle in the Supreme Court for the safe return of pregnant women stranded abroad due to the COVID-19 lockdown. “As an artist, I always think about the best possible way to convey these messages to my viewers,” he says.