Sudarshan Patnaik : The Sand Sculptures

Mr. Sudarshan Patnaik and Sand Art:-

Mr. Sudarshan Patnaik was born in the coastal town of Puri, Orissa. Being inspired by the voice of his inner soul he started visiting the sea beach at Puri every day right from his childhood. Slowly he started carving out different faces of gods and goddesses in sand with his imagination and creativity. Initially the forms were not mature as he had no Guru because sand art is not considered as a professional form of art in India. Despite these limitations he pursued in his endeavor as he considered the creativity in him is God gifted ability. He took up the challenge to popularize sand art as a professional art form and started exhibiting sand art at various places in India.

Mr. Sudarshan Patnaik’s ultimate objective is to create awareness and enthusiasm among the people and make it popular professional art form among the people for which he is traveling various places in the country and demonstrating this art form by holding work shops and training. Time and again he has tried to replicate various international events through Sand art. recently he made a 4 feet gigh sculpture of Pop King Michael Jackson at Puri. The video link is given below.

Mr. Sudarshan Patnaik has established "The Golden Sand Art Institute” which is first of it’s nature in India.


GOLDEN SAND ART INSTITUTE:-

A dream to realize, a strong zeal in the heart and a dedicated art lover, Sudarshan not only mastered the art, but was keen to propagate the same to others. The determination of this man, support and a consorted effort from his friends in Puri, culminated in the formation of “Golden Sand Art Institute” in the year 1994. The institute is an open air institute with no boundaries and limitation, with sands below the feet and the sky above the head, the institute is located in the sea shore that spans between Hotel May Fair Beach Resort and the Panthanivas in Puri.


Aims of Institute:-



o Propagate the art among the general public.
o Impart training on sand art to art lovers.
o Development and Popularization of this unique art form.
o Develop sand art as a professional career with support from its fine art wing.

The institute that started with only two students has grown to a 35 member team now. The institute organizes an annual “Sand art exhibition” in the month of December. Sudarshan recalls the first exhibition of the institute – “there were only 2 students and they were new. We organized the publicity with help of my local friends who prepared the banners and posters. Then they carved some magnificent arts on the sand, many of which were done by me alone just to show the visitors that we have many participants.” But all these pains were forgotten once the crowd started pouring in and the art form was appreciated by all. There was a huge tourist gathering also.

In search of talents among children the institute organizes various programs including a sand castle competition among local and tourist children, painting competition and cartoon competition. Besides it, organizes some special exhibitions on the occasion of Dashara, New year etc. The Institute also performs demonstration exhibition of sand sculpture every year during the occasion of Puri Beach Festival and Pallishree Mela during Car Festival (Rath Yatra) of Lord Jagannath.

Golden Sand Art Institute, the brain child of Mr. Patnaik is able to produce a band of well trained sand sculptors within a short period. Even some of them master them selves in this unique art form.


* INTERNATIONAL AWARDS & ACHIEVEMENTS:-


o 01 UNITED KINGDOM: Exhibited during the World Travel Market's 1998 at Earls Court, LONDON with support of Govt. Of India Tourist Office, London.

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o 02 UNITED KINGDOM: Exhibited during the World cup Cricket-1999 held at Edgbaston, United Kingdom.

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o 03 FRANCE : World sand Sculpturing Championship at France 2000 representing India.

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o 04 CHINA : International Sand Sculpturing Championship 2000 at China representing India.

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o 05 UNITED KINGDOM: International Sand Sculpturing Championship 2000 at Glasgow represnting India.

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o 06 SINGAPORE : Particcipated in SANTOSA SAND STATION 2001 3 June "Spledours of Golden Asia" at Singapore represnting India.

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o 07 DENMARK : International Sand Sculpture Festival 2001 Blokhus on 25 June representing India.

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o 08 ITALY : 3rd Prize in World's Master Sand Sculpture's championship 2001 on 16 July at Italy.

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o 09 NETHERLANDS :Singles International Sand Sculpting competition at Scheveningen, Holland representing India on 6 May 2001 & 6 May 2002.

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o 10 JAPAN : Champion Medal in "29th International Snow Statue Contest - 2002" at Sapporo, Japan.

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o 11 BELGIUM : Sand Sculpture Festival Blankenberge 2002 at Belgium in June.

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o 12 NETHERLANDS : The Dutch Sand Sculpture festival Thorn 2002 -2003 at Holland in July.

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o 13 CHINA : The 1st China Ningxia Sand Lake International Sand Sculpture Events-2002 3rd Aug to 10th Aug representing India.

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o 14 CHINA : The 3rd Luilang Colour Sand Festival Demonstration Prize at China 2003.

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o 15 SPAIN : 2nd Prize in International Sand Sculpture Championship at Valadoli, Spain 2003.

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o 16 GERMANY : 3rd prize at Berlin International Sand Sculpture Championship at Germany 2003.

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o 17 CHINA : 4th Prize at China International Sand Sculpture Competition 2003.

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o 18 UAE : Sand Sculpture Demonstration at Muskat festival 2004 at Oman.

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o 19 GERMANY : Participated at Sand World festival at Travemunda at Germany 2003-04.

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o 20 GERMANY : Public Prize at 2nd Berlin Sand Station Competition 2004.

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o 21 AUSTRALIA : Participated at Sand Sculpturing Australia 2004 at Melbourne.

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o 22 USA : Participated in Houston international Festival-2005 at Houston, Texas. taj Mahal recreated in sand.

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o 23 GERMANY : 1st Prize at 3rd Berlin International Sand Sculpture Competition 2005.

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o 24 GERMANY : 1st Prize at Berlin World Sand Art Competition-2008.

(* The Competition / Festivls sited above indicate Mr. Sudarshan Patnaik's participation on behalf of India and recipient of awards / honours.)




* SPECIAL ACHIEVMENTS :-

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o 25 Providing training to artists through open air Golden sand art institute at Puri beach, as institute which he started in 1994 with a view to make these students learn and develop sand art as a professional art form. Students from India and abroad are enrolled for projects, regular and short term courses. His objective is to include sand art as a regular curriculum in the schools of art and culture.

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o 26 Published a book regarding SAND ART.

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o 27 Conducted training and workshops and demonstrated the art form in different fairs and festivals around the country to promote and popularize this form in India.

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o 28 He took current national and international events on social problems such as world peace, wild life, Terrorism, HIV-AIDS, world Sports and problems of similar nature and depicted it through the form of sand artto create public awareness which is covered by National and International media like BBC, CNN, ABC, Doordarshan, Discovery, National Geography and others.

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o 29 Limca Book felicitated internationally acclaimed sand artist Sudarshan Patnaik during the release of 20th edition of Limca Book of Records 2009 at New Delhi. Patnaik was felicitated for being among the 20 People of the year.