KOCHI: When Valsan Unungal sees a coconut, it piques his interest. This 50-year-old man breaks it and keeps the shells with him so he could fashion out portraits on the husk. The byproduct of the fruit has been Valsan’s canvas for the past three years. A sculptor by profession, Valsan’s artworks on gypsum, cement and wood can be seen in temples nearby, schools and public parks, and it has also gone overseas once. In Qatar at Al Khor Park, he got the chance to carve the traditional practices of the place on a cement wall, along with other artists.
“I am always on the lookout for a new medium. I like to play around with materials. If we repeatedly do artworks on the same mediums, our work will not stand out, and it would be like another handcraft item. That’s why I decided to give a twist to my usual routine and started carving on coconut shells,” says the Thrissur native.
With 25-years of experience in the sculpting field, Valsan’s creations are not sculptures with multiple shells. Instead, he challenges himself with one shell by removing the fibres and extra husk on it.
Using his carpentry tools, he carves portraits and other figures like Indira Gandhi, APJ Abdul Kalam, Pinarayi Vijayan, K K Shailaja, B R Ambedkar, and even ornated deity figurines with intricate detailing.
His creations are eco-friendly handicraft items. After smoothening the surface, he outlines the image, following that, the final result would be formed. Though shells are considered to be strong and durable, crafting on them would make them fragile in every step.
“An average thickness of coconut shells are around 3.5 mm thickness, as you carve, the thickness gets reduced and it might leave a hole, making your efforts go down in vain. Once a mishap occurs, you just have to discard it. Till the face gets evolved and recognisable, the carving has to continue. It takes roughly a week to finish,” says Valsan.
Despite the challenges, what keeps Valsan going is the durability of his creations. “It is a good gifting option too,” claims Valsan.
“It will stay for ages and won’t lose its sheen. Not just that, when a person’s face is carved it will be treasured. No matter how many news gifts they receive, the effort will have its value. And it is one of a kind,” he says.
Aside from carving life-like images on coconut shells, Valsan also curates one rupee coin-sized coconut shell lockets with highly detailed works. A group of pilgrims from abroad inspired him to do minute work on small shells.
“They wanted a carved image of Narasimha on a locket. It is even more challenging, especially when the surface is too small. As you scrape, the chances of making a hole is high,” says Valsan. Valsan showcases his artworks and makes a living out of it through his store, ‘Corona.’
“I started the venture in 2001. Corona means a bright circle seen around a sun or moon. With the advent of the pandemic, the store name made the clients curious,” he quips.
Since the beginning of his career, Valsan’s wife Vijini had been of great strength to excel in his artistic career. The sculptor’s coconut shell portrait of Indira Gandhi is placed at Craft Village, Vadakara.