exagenarian artist from Mohali Abninder Singh Grewal recently finished his fibre glass version of Mahatma Gandhi's historic Dandi Yatra – which was dedicated to the father of the nation on his 66th martyrdom day here on January 30, 2013. Each of the statues assiduously churned out by the artist stands seven feet tall and is a replica of the rare bronze Gyarah Murti at the Mother Teresa Crescent in New Delhi. Born in a small village Nanoki, near Nabha (Punjab), Abninder like any kid of his age, loved to play with clay. But his creative engagement was different than others, as he himself puts it – "While my siblings and friends would make utensils and raise houses of clay and sand, I would work on bullock carts with moving wheels. I would try to create random faces out of clay and went on to create more fine figures."
Due to certain health concerns, he stopped making sculptures and tried his hand on oil based paintings. Altogether a different genre, it transformed his into a consummated artist. But, sculpture making remained his guiding passion. For a better future for his family, Abninder Singh shifted to Chandigarh in 1990. Then on, at the age of 40, he embarked on his second long journey – from agriculturist to a commercial artist. Initially, he used ceramic to create his sculptures which was later replaced by fibre glass, a flexible yet sturdy substance. He has worked with utmost dedication and commitment during the last two decades to disseminate the message of Punjab's rich folk traditions and cultures, through his winsome creations, precisely his surreal sculptures of the Punjabi women performing giddha, the bhangra men dancing to the beats of dhol, Nihang Singh in his traditional costumes, women with spinning wheels, religious figures, village scenes and hundreds of other sculptures.
Conceptualizing the project to recreate the Gyarah Murti was easier said than done. But it proved to be a dream-come-true for Abninder. While sharing his experience, he promptly adds, "Whenever I start working on any of the creations I demand nothing less than a pitch-perfect product. For this particular replica, I took almost 60 photographs of the 11 statues from different viable angles and kept working on the details all the while. I just wanted to make sure that the fibre glass replicas gave better expression in terms of texture and other requisite features, like costume etc."
 | For this particular replica, I took almost 60 photographs of the 11 statues from different viable angles and kept working on the details all the while. I just wanted to make sure that the fibre glass replicas gave better expression in terms of texture and other requisite features.  |
Abninider was conferred with two prestigious awards in 2012 which included the State Award given by the chief minister of Punjab, Parkash Singh Badal. He was also awarded the Army Commendation Card for his contribution in the field. Abninder further informs that a fair share of his work pours through various battalions and regiments where he creates sculptures of the martyrs. He has never compromised on quality, though charging lesser fees for his work. His creations have sold out at different stores in Australia, Canada, the USA, the UK, and Germany. But, here in India these are put on display and are sold only at a select few stores, an extension of Phulkari and 1469 business portals.
Among all his creations, his favourite remains Shera, the much-hyped mascot of the Commonwealth Games held in New Delhi, in 2010. It was a real big achievement for Abninder as he was short-listed among the top finalists to create Shera. He recalls, "Before finalising Shera, me and my team made nearly 1,000 models of the mascot working minutely on details. It was indeed proud moment for me to see that these were gifted by the Indian Government as memento to hundreds of delegates who made it to the venue"
http://www.sunday-guardian.com/artbeat/flattery-via-imitation-for-gyarah-murti
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