With his works at the University of Hyderabad and RBVRR Telangana Police Academy, the sculptor is determined to carve a niche in the field.
Motorists traveling towards Gopanpally – one of the burgeoning suburbs of Hyderabad – slow down on a particular stretch to see the grand iron sculpture of a horse. Weighing 300 kg, the figure stands outside Dheeraj Kumar, popularly known as Dheeraj Sculptor’s home-cum-studio, in a quiet neighbourhood, which is yet to get a paved road.
There are only a few houses and trees all around, this area has a village-like atmosphere. The home and studio are separated by a gray wall with asbestos sheets and splashes of color. “I grew up in a mud house and the atmosphere reminds me of my childhood; That’s why I have taken this place on lease,” says Dhiraj who hails from Pratapgarh district (near Allahabad) in Uttar Pradesh.
An alumnus of the University of Hyderabad (UoH), Dheeraj is one of the growing community of sculptors in Hyderabad. “It is tough, but I am determined to make a mark here,” he says, “Some of my classmates are good artists but have taken up jobs as art teachers due to financial difficulties. As an artist Making a living is challenging, but I am determined,” he says.
Dheeraj’s father is a farmer and was not much curious about his son’s interest in art. “My mother supported me but there was no one else to guide me in the village. Somehow I got a degree in fine arts from Banaras Hindu University,” he says. Incidentally, he is also the first person in his village to study art.
Recalling his struggle after completing his Masters from UOH, he says, “I would go to hi-tech city and corporate apartment complexes to showcase my art; I was never ashamed to ask for work.” It was during such a visit that the RBVRR Telangana Police Academy asked him to create a rock installation. He explains, “The exhibition is based on a quote by Italian sculptor Michelangelo.The sculpture within the block of marble is already complete, I just have to chisel off the extra material’ Similarly, promising officers are already there and they showcase their skills at the police academy.”
The five exhibits – three steel sculptures, one rock sculpture, a mural he did at UOH and one on the university logo, are all a tribute to the university’s efforts to encourage students to expand their horizons. Steel sculptures of a man (12 feet high, set on a 40 feet cliff) and a woman with wings (six feet high) as well as sculptures of a girl reading are symbols of students flying on the wings of wisdom. Endurance, working in various mediums like stone, metal, scrap, iron and steel, loves to do great things.
Looking closely at the horse which took him three months to complete, he says, “The horse is a symbol of power.” He used the scrap received from the dealers of Bahadurpura for the body parts. He is happy that his dream has come true and he is on the lookout for potential buyers.
Dheeraj dreams of converting the 250 yard studio into an artistic space with a Shiva Linga on his premises. “Some people might feel hesitant to walk into a gallery. My dream is to create a space where people of all walks of life can enjoy art.”
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