AU student turns banana leaf into his canvas in UP's Prayagraj
PRAYAGRAJ: Manoj Kumar, a fine art postgraduate student of Allahabad University and a young artist from Sangam city, has been making sincere efforts to carve a coveted niche for himself in the city of leaf painting. Hours-long hard work and assiduous trial and error method have made him a notable banana leaf painter already.
The artist, however, claims that banana leaf painting is a far more difficult job than it looks. The reason, according to him, is the tenderness and unpredictability of the object itself as oil acrylic colours on the green and dry banana leaf often skid on a movable base, and it becomes really difficult for an artist to protect the banana leaf from any sort of harm during the process.
“I was able to do better after trying and trying and trying to get better at it,” said Manoj Kumar. Given the holy month of Shravan and its significance to Sangam City, this is the first time when the artist is trying to sketch lord Shiva on a banana leaf.
Talking about his craft and the intricate aspects of it, he says, “The biggest challenge I face with banana leaves is that image outlining with pencil is not possible on it. Moreover, oil acrylic colours also do not hold firmly on leaves, and the colour skids on the leaf just as it would on a wet human body,” he added.
Unlike working on other plains like canvas, paper, and walls, painting on green banana leaves takes a much longer time,” said Manoj. He ensures the leaves do not break or tear by putting them in a unique solution before drying them. The artist says that he finds acrylic is the best material for this medium of the artwork.
“Oil and watercolours are unsuitable for this form of art,” he says. The artist signs off by saying that paintings and artworks should help create positive energy in people in the challenging times of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The artist, however, claims that banana leaf painting is a far more difficult job than it looks. The reason, according to him, is the tenderness and unpredictability of the object itself as oil acrylic colours on the green and dry banana leaf often skid on a movable base, and it becomes really difficult for an artist to protect the banana leaf from any sort of harm during the process.
“I was able to do better after trying and trying and trying to get better at it,” said Manoj Kumar. Given the holy month of Shravan and its significance to Sangam City, this is the first time when the artist is trying to sketch lord Shiva on a banana leaf.
Talking about his craft and the intricate aspects of it, he says, “The biggest challenge I face with banana leaves is that image outlining with pencil is not possible on it. Moreover, oil acrylic colours also do not hold firmly on leaves, and the colour skids on the leaf just as it would on a wet human body,” he added.
Unlike working on other plains like canvas, paper, and walls, painting on green banana leaves takes a much longer time,” said Manoj. He ensures the leaves do not break or tear by putting them in a unique solution before drying them. The artist says that he finds acrylic is the best material for this medium of the artwork.
“Oil and watercolours are unsuitable for this form of art,” he says. The artist signs off by saying that paintings and artworks should help create positive energy in people in the challenging times of the Covid-19 pandemic.
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