Miscellany-The 'Shell Man'

Discarding materials as waste is the easiest thing to do. Little do we realise what wonders we could create if we see something in everything. One such master craftsman is B Venkatramana Bhat. He possesses the unique ability to elevate junk to an art piece and his specialisation lies in coconut shells. For the past 40 years, he has been using coconut shells to make a variety of artefacts including abstract figurines of gods and goddesses.

Being bullied for stuttering as a child, Venkatramana took to carving coconut shells as a vent. “It gave me tremendous confidence, and my stammering vanished,” he remembers. He picked up the nuances of this craft on his own without any training. From shaving off the exterior husk, to polishing and cutting the shell, to selecting the right shape to match the body part of the figurine, carving coconut shells is a tedious process. Though these shells look strong, they are fragile and are difficult to work with. 

Hence, it is no surprise that Venkatramana’s toolbox is a collection of all kinds of tools: sharp, blunt, curved and pointed. He has separate ones for filing, scooping and cutting also. “I have the tools used by carpenters, goldsmiths, blacksmiths and from other professions, but I am still improvising,” says this sexagenarian. Unlike other craftspeople who use metal pieces to bind their figures, Venkatramana uses bamboo soaked in glue for his creations, making them entirely eco-friendly. Depending on the size and details of the figurines, Venkatramana takes around a few days to months to create an artefact. 

Plastic of the futureWhen he saw coconut shells being callously disposed, he wondered how best one could use them. “It is the plastic of the future; it has all the properties of plastic, and is eco-friendly,” he says. In today’s age, where we see almost everything from boxes to water bottles in the kitchen shelves being slowly replaced by glass or steel wares, it’s high time one acknowledged the simple wonder of coconut shells. 

Venkatramana doesn’t have much of a problem with sourcing raw material for his art work. “Bhatre, please come in the evening, we have got good coconuts this time,” is how many hoteliers and catering agencies would zealously call him everyday. “Thanks to these well-wishers, I never had a dearth of coconut shells,” Venkatramana says.

He still vividly remembers the day when Sudha magazine showcased one of his first creations. This brought him popularity and soon, Venkatramana was invited to many exhibitions and craft melas. Even the big galleries applauded him. But fame doesn’t bring food to table nor does it pay the bills. Venkatramana owned a small pan-beedi shop and collected torn currency notes to run the family. When he suffered a massive heart attack, he had to sell everything. He shifted base from Davangere to Udupi to be closer to his four daughters. Referring to the incident, he now says, “Today, the ‘he’ in my heart is gone, what is left is just the ‘art’.”

Unlike an electronic gadget that looks complicated, an art work painstakingly made of coconut shells stands no chance to demand the kind of money it deserves.  Having said that, Venkatramana does have a few pieces which he is not ready to part with even for a hefty price. Today, he has managed to convert his living room into an art gallery, which sees people coming in from far and wide. At an age when people often enjoy the comforts of a retired life, he is busy teaching his craft at schools. “People appreciate my work, but the government has not yet recognised it,” he rues. He has his set of complaints, but his optimism is what keeps him going.