Vaishali Vijaykumar By Express News Service CHENNAI : A Bharatanatyam dancer gracefully sits in an aramandi posture. The folds in her pleats are crisp. Her temple jewellery accentuates her sharp features. Only — we are not at a dance recital. This is the meticulous work on a watermelon by food artist and sculptor M Elanchezhian. For the last 15 years, with his craftsmanship and attention-to-detail, this Theni-based self-taught artist’s work has been nothing short of artistic brilliance. Elanchezhian completed his diploma in catering from Annai Fathima College of Arts and Science in 2003. He worked in the hospitality industry across different parts of India for five years. “There’s a preconceived notion that anybody who takes up catering ends up being a chef in a five-star hotel. I chose a lesser travelled path and took up edible sculpting. Hardly one in a 100 chefs can do this. Everybody around me mocked my decision. Nothing bogged me down. Here I am, going around the world and developing the art,” said Elan with pride. The artist carved the faces of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and China President Xi Jinping on a watermelon during their visit to Mamallapuram. A spin to sculpting He was at New Delhi recently for a programme organised by Kalam Foundation on the occasion of the late former president APJ Abdul Kalam’s birth anniversary. The artist had carved four different avatars of the leader. “The first time I carved his face was in 2004 and it took me seven hours. Now I can do it in two minutes. I take a print out of the design to be carved and replicate it on the fruit. I’m always open to taking part in international and national workshops and conferences in this field. But, I’ve decided to settle down at my native place, Gudalur. The lush green fields, organic produce, and variety in vegetables and fruits inspire me to try out mediums to carve on,” said Elanchezhian, who can carve with his mouth and eyes blindfolded. Edible, sustainable art From green chilli to pumpkin, size is not a function of his art. The designs are inspired by leaders, art, culture and festivals. Elan opts for a vegetable or fruit that is native to the city he travels to, connecting cultures and communities through his work. His toolkit comprises knives and paring knives sourced from all over the world during his travels. “It’s called edible art since the vegetable or fruit that I can work on can be eaten. People fail to understand this and call it wasting of resources. For instance, I carved a rose out of a tomato’s outer skin and the pulp was used to make rasam. I made a vegetable bouquet and the next day we made a salad out of it. Instead of peeling the outer skin and disposing it of into a bin, I make a design out of it, but people have problems. Keeping the flipside apart, I feel glad to have laid a path for the upcoming generation which wants to take this up as a full-time profession,” said Elan who has won the Kalai Valarmani Award from the Tamil Nadu government for art in 2014. Visual treat The artist has carved images of lesser-known leaders for Tamil Semmozhi Manadu in 2010 and earned appreciation from former late chief minister of Tamil Nadu M Karunanidhi. His work also includes the 100 avatars of former late chief minister of Tamil Nadu MG Ramachandran created on his 100th birth anniversary. In Elan’s work, the mundane becomes the muse, and art is celebrated sumptuously. “There was no social media when I started. Now people are recognising my work after 15 years of painstaking work. The Government of Tamil Nadu’s horticulture department has recognised this art form but it must support the artists and give them a platform like those in other parts. My dream is to travel to countries like Thailand, China, and Malaysia where food art has been practiced since ancient times, and learn a few techniques for my art. I’m open to taking classes to those interested,” he said. For details, call: 9865242186

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