It’s that time of the year again when watermelons are all over the place, heralding the onset of summer. If the sight of watermelons on a hot summer day makes us wish for a bite of the juicy fruit, Harish Kumar of Shimoga has different ideas for watermelons. The moment he spots the fruit, he thinks of the shape he can give it with his deft fingers. Former prime minister Vajpayee, former president Abdul Kalam, Lord Ganesha, matinee idol Dr Raj Kumar... all these prominent figures take shape in the juicy fruit as a result of Harish Kumar’s adeptness at carving.
Harish Kumar expresses his creativity in not just watermelons, but also in various other vegetables and fruits like carrot, cucumber, ridge gourd, pumpkin, brinjal, custard apple and so on. One look at his creative pieces and you would think he has had his formal education in fine arts. In fact, Harish is a BBM graduate!
His tryst with vegetable and fruit carving began when he was forced to try his hand at carving on the occasion of his friend’s wedding. The appreciation he received for his carvings enthused him to hone his skills further. The first prize he won for his carvings at Shimoga’s flower and fruit exhibition in 2004 only added to his enthusiasm to sharpen his skills.
Though Harish uses a variety of fruits and vegetables to give shape to his creative ideas, it is watermelon that he prefers most, as it is a fruit that can be preserved longer than the rest.
The recent flower show at Lalbagh too witnessed Harish’s creativity and not only did Harish win 8 prizes for his carvings, but also the prestigious award of ‘Best Carving’.
Harish enjoys the distinction of being the sole representative from Karnataka in the 21st International Garden Festival held in New Delhi on February 16 where his carving of former president Abdul Kalam won visitors’ appreciation and earned him the I prize.
Harish’s most recent exhibition of carvings was at the flower show in Gulbarga, held from February 22 to 24, where his fruit carvings that included Basavanna, Bande Nawaz Darga, Dr Raj Kumar and the like, won immense appreciation.
(Translated by Chethana Dinesh)
