JOIN USWood sculptors lost in the jungle of uncertainty
Comfortably seated on the pavement in Lalbagh, two wood sculptors rhythmically chip on a simple dead wooden log so as to breathe life into it.
Using a hacksaw blade, brothers Ravi Bhat and Vikram Bhat transform a piece of wooden log into a work of art. The brothers, for the past 20 years have been making wooden sculptures for a living.
Hailing from Rajasthan, the duo has made Bengaluru their home. As the demand for art work reduced following the Covid-induced lockdown, they came to Mangaluru looking for work and earn a living.
“Carving wood sculptures is in our blood. We have been making wooden statues since childhood. These statues can be used as a vase with flowers or as a decorative piece. We have created over 1,000 such sculptures in the past two decades. Our fascination for carving out wooden marvels has turned into a passion,” Vikram Bhat told DH.
The duo has been carving faces of different shapes and sizes with different headgear. The cost of art piece ranges from Rs 1,500 to Rs 5,000 depending on the size.
“It takes four to five hours to complete a sculpture. After completing the carving, we apply wood varnish on the art work. We make two to three art works per day. We buy wooden logs of badam tree, kadam tree from authorities concerned to make the sculptures,” they said.
The brothers nostalgically recollect how their wood sculptures were eagerly sought out by customers in Bengaluru. After the Covid-19 pandemic, the demand for such art pieces had reduced, they rued.
The brothers used to supply such sculptures for North Indian weddings in Bengaluru. But after the lockdown and due to the rapid spread of Covid-19, large gatherings for marriages too have been prohibited.
“We don’t have any work related to marriage halls, and other arrangements, “says Vikram Bhat. The brothers disappointingly inform that not many art works were sold in Mangaluru. It looks like people are in no mood to buy for Deepavali due to the losses they incurred during the lockdown.
“We thought we could earn something in Mangaluru for Deepavali. But there is not much demand for the wood sculptures. We will return to Bengaluru after a few days,” the eldest among the brothers, Vikram informs.