Replicas and mementoes crafted by sculptor C.B. Jinan adorn the showcases of several renowned personalities. The artist has won several awards too during his career spanning around two decades.
However, he has had to wait for his ‘career-defining moment’ for long. It came when Prime Minister Narendra Modi gifted the king of Saudi Arabia, Salman bin Abdul-Aziz Al Saud, a replica of the Cheraman Juma Masjid, a few days ago.
Mr. Jinan was roped in for the task of preparing a gold-plated bronze replica by the Kerala Tourism authorities who were impressed by a memento by him presented to President Pranab Mukherjee during the inauguration of the Muziris Heritage Project recently. The memento was a replica of a ‘pathemari’ (dhow), a befitting representation of the ancient port of Kodungalloor, which once witnessed a flourishing spice trade.
Undaunted by the limited deadline of four days provided for the task, Mr. Jinan went about preparing the replica of the Cheraman Juma Masjid, ensuring immense importance to detailing. “The study I had undertaken during the previous project helped a great deal in preparing the replica. Incorporating the features of the mosque in a replica that is 10 inches long, 8 inches wide, and 9 inches tall was indeed a challenge,” he says.
Many works
Mr. Jinan is the artist behind several much-admired sculptures, a notable few being the 40-foot concrete sculpture of a Kurava family at Ramakkalmedu; those at the sculpture garden at Thenmala; and the models set-up at the Vaidyaratnam Ayurveda Museum at Thaikkattussery in Thrissur.
The sculptor, who is assisted by sculptor Binu Haridas, brother C.B. Jigish, and around 30 skilled workers, has also been a constant presence at the India International Trade Fair (IITF), where he has been creating the Kerala Pavilion for around 15 years. For his efforts, he has won eight gold medals and three silver medals. During the previous edition of the IITF, which was themed on the Make in India project, Mr. Jinan won the gold medal for his portrayal of the natural richness of the State and the immense potential for investment in various sectors, including fisheries, spices and agriculture.
“Great focus is provided for the ideation process prior to designing a pavilion or memento. We make it a point to ensure that the product symbolised every aspect of the region or phenomenon it represented,” he said.
