Who is Sudarshan Pattnaik?

Having bagged the Gold medal for sand art competition at Moscow Championships, Sudarshan Pattnaik has taken the art to the next level globally. This was the 9th Moscow Sand Sculpture Championship "The magical world of sand" 2016.

Pattnaik won the championship for his 15 feet high art work "Mahatma Gandhi's sculpture for non-violence and peace".

Birth and early life

Born in Puri in 1977, Pattnaik was the youngest of three brothers in his family. His life was full of poverty and hardships. He is a self-taught artist.

Career

He started sculpture at the age of 7 and designed his own sand art. Since then, he has been representing India in 50 International Sand sculpture championship and festivals all around the world and won 27 championship prizes for the country.

Prizes won

1. Gold medal at Saint Petersburg in 12th International sand sculpture competition at Russia in 2013
2. Danish grand prizes at International Sand competition Championship, Denmark
3. Won Moscow museum prize at Russia
4. In 2011, he won 1st prize and public prize at Denmark
5. Double medal at Solo International sand art contest in Mervala 2012
6. In 2010, he won the gold medal for people choice award at 3rd Moscow World sand sculpture championship
7. Won 3 medal in North American solo sand sculpture championship
8. People's choice prize in Canada and Moscow
9. Won the Korea sand sculpture award in 2009
10. In 2008 he won the World champion title at USF World sand sculpture championship, Berlin
11. Five times winner of people's choice award in Berlin, a record in itself

Apart from this, he won worldwide accolades for his Black Taj Mahal. Winning several national and international awards for his creative design, for which he was recorded in the Guiness Book of World Records. He was later awarded the Padma Shri in 2014.

[Read: Sudarsan Pattnaik wins gold medal in sand art contest in Russia ]