KOCHI: Rajesh K R was four days old when he was brought to the SOS Children’s Village in Aluva. Growing up, art and craft have always been his companion and they never left his side. Dabbling in many artforms — mini sculptures, mural art and experimenting his artistic skills on cloth materials, Rajesh was on a constant lookout for a unique artform. It was during the lockdown last year that he ventured upon pencil graphite carving. Since then the 30-year-old has been carving his thoughts onto the fragile graphite.
“I had so much time in my hand during the lockdown. That is when I came across pencil lead carving. I learnt the basics from YouTube,” he says. Rajesh began chiselling names on lead before trying complex works. According to him, it’s always better to start carving to get well-versed with the basic letters. “Initially I broke almost 35 pencils. Lead is a fragile element. If you lose focus even for a fraction of a second, your entire work would get distorted,” says the Kalady-native.
Using Artline pencils worth `30, Rajesh has managed to craft over 50 figures in letters. His recent work has managed to fetch him a place in the India Book of Records. Rajesh who is a self-acclaimed film enthusiast carved the names of 16 actors of the Malayalam film industry who bagged the National Film Awards in chronological order.
Starting with Sharada, the first actor to bring national fame to Mollywood, he reached Surabhi Lakshmi. “I wanted to carve a unique work related to films. Actor Surabhi herself acknowledged my work on social media,” says Rajesh. The artist aims to hand over the work to The Association of Malayalam Movie Artists (A.M.M.A).
With surgical blades and needles, Rajesh has created several detailed subjects. Aside from letters, his mini graphite sculptures are sure to catch anyone’s attention. He has done a small miniature of a house — a resemblance of a home that got washed away in the Koottickal landslide. “I have carved around 25 sculptures so far on pencil lead. More than any works, I am recognised more for graphite carving. I expect to host an exhibition soon,” he says.
For Rajesh, pencil lead carving is more than an art form. The artist claims that he has developed patience with each carving. “Before, I wanted things to happen in a jiffy. The need for care and attention to detail required in each carving has made me a calm person. This is a healing process for me,” he adds. Rajesh has bagged several records including the Asia Book of Records and Kalams World Records. Soon the artist will start taking offline classes for pencil lead carving.