She sculpts with conches and sea shells 

Mysore :

Senior Shanku Shukti artist of city Y. Jayamma was presented with the Karnataka Shilpakala Academy Award-2012 at her residence, Shanku Shukti Kala Kendra, on Irwin Road here yesterday.

Academy Registrar H.V. Indramma and Member L. Shivalingappa presented a cheque for Rs. 10,000 and a memento. City artist Jamuna Rani V. Mirle was also present.

Jayamma is the first Shanku Shukti artist of city who sculpts a figure using conches and sea shells transforming ideas into reality. She has mastered the rare act without any guru but only with her creative mind. But the government is yet to recognise the artist.

Speaking to a section of the Press, Jayamma said, “I never aspired for any award but always sought encouragement which was provided by people.”

Jayamma right now is said to be suffering from leg pain and not keeping well. She has won the Jayachamaraja Wadiyar award in 1961 when she had scored the highest marks at Maharani’s College.

Mastering the art using sea shells, Jayamma reportedly began using coloured sea shells instead of colouring the white ones to give a natural look on advice from Marimallappa High School Art Teacher Subbannachar.

Jayamma retired from service as a teacher at JSS TCH College and is said to have shown a sculpture of sea shells of former President Dr. Abdul Kalam recently to Kalam himself who appreciated the art and asked Jayamma to preserve that along with her other exhibits.

Jayamma has a huge collection of her art works at her Kala Kendra located opposite the State Bank of Mysore on Irwin Road which is also open to public.

Jayamma is said to be very innovative and creative as she can get inspired by the words of a poem and come out with an art of sea shells.

Her collection included sculptures of 3.5 ft tall Ugranarasimha, Mahishasura Mardini, Jatayu Vadhe, Crucified Christ, Kalinga Mardhana and many more.

source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> General News  / Wednesday ,  October 22nd, 2014