Orissa sand artist bags top prize in Berlin

BHUBANESHWAR: Orissa sand artist Sudarsan Patnaik has won the first prize for his sculpture on global warming at the United Sand Festivals (USF) World Double Championship in Berlin.

"I created a 25 feet high sand sculpture depicting a polar bear on top of a globe. The bear was shown praying for the safety of his family. While my sculpture won the first prize, the second prize went to an artist from the US and the third to the Netherlands," Patnaik said over the phone from Berlin.

Artists from 12 countries including Denmark, Germany, Britain, Spain, Holland, Japan, Belgium, Morocco, Italy, France and the US participated in the championship, which began June 5 and ended Thursday.

The sculptures will be kept for public display for a few weeks in Berlin.

Patnaik was the first Indian to have won the top prize at the competition in 2005 by creating a 15-foot-high sculpture on world peace, which showed Mahatma Gandhi with three monkeys. He has also won the public's choice award twice.

Patnaik, who lives in Puri, has participated in over 35 international sand sculpture championships.