Thermocol man seeks to sculpt a record

HYDERABAD: Holding a traditional granite-grinder in one palm and a mini gas cylinder in the other using the small finger is not a great deal for V Ramana Moorthy. He is no weightlifter, but a sculptor. And a close inspection would reveal that what he has in his hands are replicas made of thermocol. 49-year-old Velugupati Ramana Moorthy has been into creation of sculptures made out of thermocol for the last three years and what he has achieved in this period is admirable -- an entry in the Global book of world records (December 2010),  India book of records (July 2011), Limca book of records (August 2011) and a letter of appreciation from President Pratibha Patil. He has created a world record by making 121 handmade thermocol 3D art works. “I chose thermocol as my medium of creation, since I realized that most of the artists make their creations in either wood or metal,” says Ramana Moorthy, an alumnus of JNTU fine arts college.  Moorthy works as a drawing teacher at a school at Saroor nagar, and claims that sculpting thermocol is his favourite past time.Ramana Moorthy’s creations include a variety of kitchen ware, sports goods, electronic appliances, vegetables, fruits, mechanical tools and household items. And the most attractive ones include a mini gas cylinder, a plate of Bawarchi biryani and a traditional granite grinder. “My replica of a gold ring weighs only 4 milligrams and nobody in the world has done this,” claims a proud Moorthy.“A sharp knife helps in carving out different shapes from thermocol and sandpaper helps in smoothing the surface. A little touch of paint gives the finishing touch,” explains Moorthy. Looking ahead, there seems to be only one aim for the thermocol artist, a Guinness world record. “I need a lot of support,” says Moorthy.