Story telling through sand
Sand sculpting is a unique art form that involves a huge amount of patience and technique. With the use of sand and water, the artist gets to express his/her views and weave a story for all us to see and feel. We caught up with 
30-year-old Jerry Jose the Founder of Sandcult about his love for the art form and his expressions through sand.
Jerry is a Communications Consultant with a leading Public Relations firm in India who has worked with renowned brands such as Raymond, Park Avenue, Parx and Reliance Retail and now dabbles in sand sculpting. Armed with sand and water, which Jerry mentions is a nature’s gift, he imparts a strong message about the fragile ecosystem that needs to be desperately preserved.
How did it all begin?
Jerry mentions, “I was always fascinated by new forms of art and my journey in sand began in the year 2009 when I discovered this art form. While I was researching on this art I got to know that in India not many people knew about this. It’s only on the Internet one could see some beautiful huge sand sculptures. So I decided to popularise this art form and give people an opportunity to witness this art through their own eyes. That’s how Goa Sand Art Festival came into inception.”
Now Goa Sand Art Festival is one of the attractions and an annual feature in Goa held in December with the active collaboration of Goa Tourism. It was a natural step to start Sand Cult – Sand Sculpting Company to popularise this art form and give a platform for artists to showcase their talent. When it comes to challenges, Jerry mentions that a lot of dedication and patience is required and that’s how he overcomes them. The journey has been sandastic and exciting so far and there is always an initial investment required to make a sand sculpture or to hold a festival.
Exhibitions
His latest project “Sand Castle for a Cause” was exhibited at High Street Phoenix in Mumbai. The sand castle was made by Simon Smith – a World Masters People’s Champion whose work has been commissioned and admired across the globe. Apart from this Jerry has exhibited his sculptures at Inorbit Malls in Mumbai (Malad & Vashi), Pune and Hyderabad and in Goa where it all began.
Inspirations
Jerry mentions, “My biggest inspiration is Simon Smith. My aim and objective are to popularise this art form in India, give more people an opportunity to see the sand sculptures through their own eyes and to train the Indian sand artists to become more professional and enter the premiere league of sand sculpting.”
The Message conveyed
“Well, that depends on a particular theme that we are trying to highlight through this art form. For example, our latest project “Sand Castle for a Cause” was one of its kind initiatives. The objective of this project was to bring people together to support a noble cause – To raise charity for cancer patients and support this art form and the artists,” explains Jerry.
The response
Jerry adds, “The feedback from people has been overwhelming. Many people are touched by our sand sculptures and this is the best part. Old and young alike are attracted to our sand sculptures and would remember seeing it for rest of their lives.”
Their work has been always appreciated and admired by the masses. “While we were doing our latest project “Sand Castle for a Cause” at High Street Phoenix, the management of the mall conveyed to us that Atul Ruia, of
Phoenix Mills Ltd., has appreciated our work,” beams Jerry with pride.
If you’d like to know more about Jerry’s works and his exhibitions across the city, then visit his Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/sandcult to know more.
What’s your story?
Have a unique art form to share with the world? Write to us at tanya@tanyamunshi.com and you could get published on our website!
