The word sculptor usually brings to mind a man busy chiselling away on metal or plaster, but Moka Satish Kumar, a Visakhapatnam-based artist, plans to change that perception.A paper sculptor, Satish is gaining recognition for intricate sculptures carved by him using nothing but paper.Born, raised and educated in Visakhapatnam, Satish has been sculpting these three-dimensional sculptures for close to 12 years now.
"I come from a commerce background and have no formal training in the arts field. It all started when I began observing paper collages. I was drawn to the subtle way in which light and dark colour paper are assembled to create an image," says Satish, who used to work in the private sector."However, with sculptures, its far more realistic as the effect of a shadow is created by the subject itself," he adds.Since Satish is completely self-taught, he began with small subjects like birds and insects before gradually moving on to some exotic sculptures. Here are a few examples.
The making of paper sculptures
Like other sculptures, the ones that Satish makes come in different sizes. While the minimum size is 2x1.5 feet, the biggest sculptures are 5x4 feet. This includes the frame, a wooden casing behind the sculpture and a 0.25 watt LED light inside the frame to provide adequate lighting.The first thing that a sculptor decides is the type of paper to use.
"Generally, paper sculptures are made from paper pulp. However, I ensure that I buy pure pulp that has not been treated with any chemicals. This ensures that the final art work looks life-like," . "The idea is that the paper should not be too thick or too thin. It should be of medium thickness and must not bend easily,"