Breaking new ground, celebrated sand artist and Padma Shri Sudarsan Pattnaik from Odisha represented India alone at Contemporary Venice 2026’s 18th show. At Venice’s Palazzo Albrizzi-Cappello, ItsLiquid Group and ACEIT Venice, under Luca Curci’s curation, hosted 80 talents from 30+ countries.
Pattnaik introduced his ‘Jugalbadi’ masterpieces—stunning integrations of natural sand and pigments on canvas—marking their global premiere. Charting his path from painting enthusiast to sand sculpture legend, the series evokes nature-human synergy, emotional tapestries, eco-balance, and Earth’s embrace by mankind.
Five years of experimentation yielded this signature style, celebrated in recent Indian expos across Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, and Delhi, where the sand-canvas contrast mesmerized all.
Inauguration buzz centered on Pattnaik’s works, with Curci and ItsLiquid chiefs applauding their freshness. His message resonates: creativity fuels environmental vigilance, cultural cohesion, and shared global duties.
Puri’s Neeladri Beach maestro, Pattnaik boasts worldwide acclaim, topped by his Christmas 2023 world-record Santa Claus sand sculpture.
This Venice milestone elevates Pattnaik’s fusion art, bridging ephemeral sand traditions with lasting canvases to advocate sustainability and unity in a divided world.