Work got very hard for Vipula!
SCULPTOR FAMED FOR MARGARINE CREATIONS NOW USING CONCRETE
SCULPTOR Vipula Athukorale is well known for his intricate margarine sculptures but his most recent work of art is no easy option – he has made it out of concrete!
It took him seven months of hard work to create the artefact, a labour of love for Vipula, who is originally from Sri Lanka and follows his country’s specific type of Buddhist faith.
The beautiful and complex “moonstone” carving is a traditional feature unique to Sri Lanka and is to be found at the entrance to temples and shrines.
It is semi-circular and features a curved procession of animals including lions, horses, elephants, birds and cows.
In Sri Lanka it is carved out of granite, but Vipula said: “I have never done stone carving, so I did it my way. First, I used polystyrene, then modelling clay to sculpt the images.
“Once I had sculpted the intricate part I made a latex mold, then used that to make a fibreglass mold, then poured cement into that; just ordinary builder’s mix.”
He said: “I then needed to put in a metal skeleton to strengthen it so it wouldn’t crack. I really enjoyed this work because the pattern is so famous in Sri Lanka and close to my heart. It was very different to sculpting using softer mediums like margarine!”
The moonstone is his latest work and is to stand proudly outside the Buddhist temple in Una Avenue, Leicester, where people who would go there for meditation on Wednesday mornings and Saturday evenings can appreciate its beauty.