Paper is possibly the last medium most people think of when they imagine sculpture. But Vizag-based artist Moka Satish Kumar has demonstrated that paper can create some of the most incredibly intricate three dimensional art works ever seen. Kumar has been creating marvels out of paper through his sculpting and embossing skills from the past decade. He has transformed sheets of paper in various sizes and textures into complex creations that mimic nature, human forms and subjects that are purely the products of his own fertile imaginations. Through an amazing combination of cutting, folding and embossing, Kumar creates incredible scenes from the simplest of materials. So far, he has created around 50 paper sculptures, an art that has been widely appreciated by art lovers and connoisseurs from across the world for its uniqueness.
A self-taught artist, Kumar’s journey into the creative world began during his childhood years. “I used to carve shapes with thermocol sheets and clay and spend hours to perfect the shapes. But my fascination with paper art started much later,” says Kumar. He left his job in the private sector four years ago to pursue his passion with paper sculpting and involve himself full time into it. Did a lack of formal training in fine arts create any hindrance for Kumar? “I see it as a blessing in disguise. I don’t go by any rules prescribed in fine arts theory. It has been a journey of self discovery for me, which perhaps gives me the confidence to explore paper art embossing in a way that was not done before,” says the artist.
Kumar says very few artist in India have explored the art of paper sculpting, especially embossing that creates shadows and adds depth to the piece of art. Most of the paper sculptures are made from paper pulp. But instead of paper pulp, Kumar uses imported acid-free paper that has a long life. He draws inspiration from international artists like Jeff Nishika and Kelvinson Nicholas, whose works inspired him to try his hand at three dimensional paper sculpture. But what makes Kumar’s paper sculptures different is its unexpected attention to detail, such as an embossed layer of necklace hidden behind the dexterously crafted flowing hair of a lady.
While Kumar has created many sculptures of nature, his forte lies in creating human forms. “It is the most difficult form to create. Right from getting the perfect thin texture of hair to creating a shadow effect on the faces and facial features, it requires tremendous precision. This is one medium which requires creativity as well as technical precision for the sculpting and embossing to be perfect. This art form does not leave any room for errors. Once if you falter while fixing the artwork, there is no scope to redo it again. I have to discard the entire piece and start all over again,” he says. He was recently given the best artist award at the All India Art Exhibition held in Vijayawada held this year. One of his earlier works titled ‘The Beautiful Indian Lady’ had earned him great recognition.
He currently uses social media platforms like Facebook to reach out to art lovers. He can be contacted at 9849418968.
