Meet Dheeraj Kolla, micro-sculptor…

Saroornagar: Remember micro artist Bindu in the Telugu romantic film 'Eega'? Samantha Ruth Prabhu was the artist who carved miniature art on tiny objects. A similar craft is with the city- based 23-year-old Dheeraj Kolla is  also well- known for his miniature art talent.  
  
A micro-sculpture artist and a mechanical engineer from Hyderabad, Dheeraj creates unbelievably detailed sculptures on pieces of chalk and pencil lead. After looking at these incredible miniature carvings, one remains flabbergasted as to how the highly meticulous objects like statues of deities and realistic face carvings can be sculpted on such tiny pieces of graphite and carbonate rock.  

Dheeraj Kolla, a Managing Director in event management company "Naavigo", developed his interest into a passion and is now a master in miniature art work. He carves different types of designs on the chalk and pencil lid but continues to explore various outlets for his talent. ‘To design one pencil lid art, it usually takes half an hour to me’ he says.  Speaking to the Hans India Dheeraj said, "I am an engineering student, but dropped out due to my passion towards miniature art.  

From my childhood onwards, I wanted to do something different from others. Many of us think that chalk and blackboard are the most uninteresting things in a classroom in school days. So, I did my first carving experiment on chalk pieces which turned a success, " he added. "While pursuing my engineering, I did research on miniature carvings from where I found pencil lid carving. I did my own promotion for my art through social media. So I thought of doing experiment on pencil lid, starting I found little bit difficult to do on pencil lid," he concluded. 

"Recently I started doing eggshell carving and planning to do book carving," he adds. ‘From childhood onwards, I was interested in art. "I would get many taunts from my neighbours when I started this work as I was not focusing on my studies."  "My parents were worried about my future, when they have come to know about my talent and my interest towards miniature carving they started supporting me.

" Talking about his achievements he said, "My achievement was carving Lord Shiva and Buddha faces on a single tip with 0.3 width and 0.6mm of height lid for which I got into books of world record. And also, I carved approximately 800 names, 90 sculptures and logos.  Now I am even trying for Guinness World Record but I dropped that thought due to some reasons.  
"Recently TEDx programme was held, where I was   invited as a guest and even in JBIT college where I shared about my art experience. I have been invited from few local colleges here, to be as a motivational and panel speaker.’

Dheeraj has also been recognized by President Ram Nath Kovind for his work, whom he met when he went to Jagriti Yatra.  The President was very impressed by my work and called me backstage and took a photograph with me, that was a really a wonderful moment for me," he said. Apart from this I do social work too where I give one meal to one person per day and share the picture on social media to inspire other people to do the same.  

"In this way, around 70 members have started providing a meal to the needy and till now I have supplied for 294 days," he said. On his future, he says: ‘My upcoming projects are that I'm working to build a platform for artists who can show their talent, many artists are suffering as they cannot showcase their talent. If we support them finally one day they will come up with flying colours’ he concludes confidently. 

BY Rashmi Kumari