Shiva Kumar carves a niche in the art world, aims to set a Guinness Record

Hyderabad: “Artknows no boundaries.” This statement has been aptly demonstrated by Telangana leaf artist Gundu Shiva Kumar, who was recently recognised by the High Range Book of World Records for carving 1,005 portraits on leaves.

At 29 years old, Gundu Shiva Kumar began his journey into leaf carving when he was in class 9, inspired by videos he watched. He taught himself this art form and has since gained popularity for his intricately carved portraits, especially of freedom fighters.

With aspirations to reach greater heights, Kumar now aims to achieve a Guinness World Record. This is not the first time his talent has been recognised; in February of this year, India Records acknowledged Kumar's work, and last year, he was listed in the Telangana Book of Records for carving portraits on leaves in just 20 months.

Speaking to The Hans India, Gundu Shiva Kumar, a resident of Sangareddy, said, "While pencil sketching and glass painting are quite common, I wanted to learn a new form of art. That's when I came across leaf art on social media platforms. Through numerous YouTube videos, I taught myself the techniques. Since then, I have been carving designs on peepal leaves. Until now, I have carved over 50 portraits of freedom fighters. Additionally, I enjoy commemorating various occasions, be it festivals or special events, through my leaf carvings.”

To date, he has created approximately 2,000 art pieces on leaves, showcasing his dedication and passion for this unique art form.

Elaborating on why he has chosen the peepal\fig leaf, he said, "This leaf is sacred, as several mythological stories were written on these leaves. The specialty of the leaf is that even after it dries up, it does not look dull. If anything is engraved on it, even then it does not fade.” Apart from the sacred peepal\fig leaf, he had also tried to carve portraits on palm tree leaves and other tree leaves, but their survival lives were too short.

It takes 15 minutes to one and a half hours to carve a portrait. After witnessing his impressive work on social networking sites, several people approached him, requesting portraits of their loved ones to be carved on leaves as gifts for birthdays, wedding anniversaries, and other special occasions. Additionally, he runs online tutorial art classes.