Each grain of rice counts for this artist

When Vadada Rahul Patnaik realised that he could not place his heart in academics, he was quick to shift his focus to another facet that he's so passionate about.

As the world of art fascinated him at the age of seven, little did he realise that he would be carving a profession out of it much later.

Drawn by the concept of miniature art, Rahul initially tried his hands on micro carving of a parrot on a single grain of rice. And since then, there has been no looking back.

After completing SSC, the self-taught artist could not think of anything else except art. Rahul says he enjoys working on rice grains and feathers as his medium and he has his own reasons for it. "There are challenges. Miniature art on a rice grain is not easy as steps once taken cannot be undone. I don't use a magnifying glass either for the artwork. I go by the flow and like creating things. Feather art is a bit tricky as it is extremely sensitive and consumes a good amount of time and energy," explains Rahul, who has so far done 300 paintings, 1,000 artworks on rice grains along with a number of feather and eggshell artworks.

Rahul's micro art on rice grains includes flags of different countries, images of Gods, Goddesses, freedom fighters, vehicles, animals, birds, fruits and musical instruments. Besides, 75 freedom fighters on a peacock feather marking Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav, 'Srinivasa Kalyanam' on a four-inch crow feather and Gandhi on a quill are some of his feather artworks. The peacock feather comprising 75 freedom fighters fetched him the top spot in Kala Gaurav Samman.

Although watercolour, acrylic, charcoal and oil paint are some of his favourite media, Rahul says acrylics are the most rice-friendly medium. "I could easily finish carving eight rice grains in a row in just an hour," he shares with The Hans India.

The artist's relentless efforts in making a mark in the creative world made him break over 20 world records in rice grain carvings. America Book of Records, High Range Book of World Records, Oscar World Records and Foundation of Indian Records form a part of the list. Last year, Rahul broke two records by bringing out a national flag with acrylics on a white sesame seed. Recently, he gained entry into the America Book of Records for more artworks on rice grains. In addition, the artist bagged national and international awards along with a gold medal and a certificate from the Guinness World Records for most photos of people drawing uploaded on FaceBook in an hour.

Counting his blessings, Rahul says that he is grateful to his mother Pushpa Latha for letting him pursue his passion without any restrictions. Having come from a modest background, he says the responsibility of his family rested on him as he lost his father eight years back due to cardiac arrest.

In future, Rahul aspires to bring the world of art closer to people by setting up an art gallery and providing training in diverse media and concepts. "Along with training, I would also like to work on interesting themes of miniature art, especially on seeds," sums up the 35-year-old artist, who is settled in Srikakulam.