Transcending international borders, Telugu lad Harsha Vardhan Durugadda recently showcased his artwork at the 14th Sculpture By The Sea exhibition held at Cottesloe beach in Perth. Notably, Harsha is the only Indian among 73 artists from across the world whose artworks have been put on display.
Harsha’s artwork is based on the concept of ‘fish love’, which is inspired by different philosophers in the world.
“The concept of ‘fish love’ is synonymous with selfish love. There has to be an ecological balance and we need to protect our nature by upholding it, and not just focusing on our needs. The shadow in the artwork reflects dynamism. Just like our shadow moves according to the direction of the sun, our work should also be dynamic and reflect the different times and phases,” elaborates the 26-year-old.
Interestingly, Harsha’s piece has been carved out of fossilised sandstone. “I researched for a month and got the stone from Jaisalmer because it has life-like quality. The golden-yellow colour shines when the sun’s rays fall on it. I spent three months carving the sculpture, which is 9-feet high and weighs four tonnes.
It took around a month for the shipment to reach from Gujarat to Perth,” he divulges.
Describing the challenges in the course of creating this artwork, Harsha explains, “Finding the material and the stone that goes with the form I had in mind was difficult. Carving a sandstone of such a magnitude was challenging because it was difficult to move it. Also, transporting it safely without damaging it wasn’t easy either.”
Harsha comes from a family of sculptors. Relating how that helped him in his own artistic journey, he says, “I learnt life lessons like the philosophy of art. My approach towards work and work ethics, such as what’s the purpose of creating art and my role in the process, became clearer. ”
As someone who has won awards at several international art shows, how has the young artist’s perception towards art evolved over the years? “Personally, meeting artists from across the world and listening about their art practises makes for an amazing exchange of knowledge and views and helps in forming a deeper connect with the field. What’s heartening to see is that artists from diverse cultural backgrounds have similar thought process,” says Harsha.
