Gundu Shiva Kumar, a leaf artist from Narayankhed in Sangareddy district of Telangana, has earned himself a name by making portraits on peepal leaves.
A self-taught artist, he started making pencil sketches in Class 5. By the time he reached Class 10, he was so good that his teacher sent him to train budding artists at an art workshop.
“From that time, I started teaching children and adults alike. I keep updating my skills by pursuing various courses and pass them on to my students,” he says. He also provides free training both online and offline.
Shiva Kumar discovered that he is good at leaf art when he was trying new ways to test his skills. It found immediate appreciation among people as he went on to make portraits of freedom fighters and other well-known figures. He started receiving orders from all over India and has even shipped framed leaves to the US. In one year, he has finished almost 800 leaf art pieces.
“I chose peepal leaves for my art as they are very durable. I have tried other leaves too, but their shelf life was short. It is also easier to make the designs on peepal leaves using a cutter. The preparation time, too, is short. After plucking them from trees, I keep the leaves pressed inside a book, and then make the portrait. If this step is not followed, the leaf folds up, making it difficult to make designs on them,” says the artist.
“Two kinds of art can be made from the leaves – one on the skeleton of the leaves, and another one on fresh leaves,” he adds.
In the last one-and-a-half years, he gained recognition all over the state for making portraits on peepal leaves. He has made the portraits of many political leaders like Health Minister Harish Rao and Telangana BJP chief Bandi Sanjay Kumar. He has also gifted them his creations.
He just completed Master of Fine Arts from Jawaharlal Nehru Architecture and Fine Arts University in Hyderabad, and plans to pursue leaf art as his primary domain of expertise.
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