A jungle jumbo, intricately carved, measures just 1 millimetre by 1.5 millimetres. It took the artist three hours of intense concentration, over many sittings, to complete this little chalk sculpture. Interestingly, what he has done with his naked eye is so tiny we need a magnifying glass to fully appreciate its fine details.
For D. Siva, a self-styled engraver, interest in chalk carving just happened. “I consider myself fortunate to reside near the Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple,” he says. “Every day it has become a routine to go around the temple, where I spend hours gazing at the amazing sculptures. I get a clear close-up view of the North Tower atop the water tank of my house. I see thousands of figures, marvellously done on granite stones. It actually inspired and motivated me to replicate those figurines in chalk.”
Siva started collecting information on carvings in wood and metal. “For beginners like me, with no formal training in sculpting or carving, venturing into wood or metal carving requires huge investment. Hence, I choose chalk, which is easier to handle. But I consider it to be a far more challenging task. As the chalk is so brittle, even a minor lapse can spoil hours of hard work,” he says.
His tools are simple. “Initially, I was using safety pin but later I found it difficult to carve minute details. Then, I switched over to disposable syringe needle, as its tip is so sharp,” he explains.
The success of Siva's first experimental carving of Lord Vinayaga propelled him to try out other figures. He carved a chalk chain and dancing dolls.
Perfection depends on the quality of the chalk. “You've got to be careful while selecting the chalk. An air bubble could spoil the show. But at times it is not easy to spot an air bubble at the centre of the chalk,” he says.
Siva relies on his naked eye as he sculpts. He does not use photographs as models for his work. “Since what I am doing is three-dimensional work it is difficult to have photographs. I rely mostly on my observations, for which I don't fix any time limit. It stretches to several hours before I have a proper understanding of the structural beauty of the sculptures,” he explains.
As he gained experience, Siva carved the Seven Wonders of the World and a chess board measuring less than 2.08 cm. “It took five days for me to complete this work. I searched for similar attempts and I found the smallest chess board made of gold and silver. Documented in Limca book of records, it measured 3 cm. I wanted my art to find place in the Guinness book of records but I don't know the procedure,” he says.
His other works include 10 exquisitely carved pieces representing the dasavatharam, a spiral and a parrot. “Experts at the Sculpture Institute in Koviloor near Karaikudi appreciated my work when I was there once,” he beams. “They wanted to know where I have learnt this technique and encouraged me to go ahead with my work.”
Amidst the din and bustle of the city, Siva has developed a habit of deep concentration as he carves out his tiny images. He believes that to be the secret of his success.
