Weymouth: Renowned sand sculptor Sudarsan Pattnaik from Odisha’s Puri was awarded “The Fred Darrington”, 1st British Sand Master Award at Sandworld Sand Sculpture Festival in Weymouth, UK, on Saturday.
The Padma awardee was elated on receiving this award and said: “It is an honour for me to receive this award from the Mayor of Weymouth. It is named after Fred Darrington, who contributed a lot towards sand sculpture. I dedicate this award to all my fans and followers, who have always supported me. Here, I have created a 10-feet high image of Lord Ganesha, with the message ‘World Peace’. I request all my fans and followers to visit and see the sculpture,” Pattnaik said.
He is the first Indian artist to receive the award.
Congratulating him for the award, Chief Minister Mohan Majhi said that his contribution has further enhanced the cultural heritage of India and Odisha on the global stage.
The competition was organised on the occasion of Sandworld 2025 International sand art festival in Weymouth in the UK. Many international sand artists created beautiful sculptures in the festival. The year is being celebrated as the centenary year of Fred Darrington of Weymouth, Dorset, UK.
Darrington passed away at the age of 91, leaving behind a legacy that started attracting people to this form of art that is beautiful and extremely difficult to create. The best part is that it is temporary. The artist knows that his creation will be destroyed by the sea or blown away by the wind sooner or later.
Jon Orell, Mayor of Weymouth, presented the award and Medal to Pattnaik at the ceremony. Mark Andersen, director of Sandworld, and David Hicks, co-founder of Sandworld were also present. Naorem J Singh, from the Indian High Commission, London was also present. This is the first time that the award has been presented to an Indian artist.
Pattnaik has participated in more than 65 international sand sculpture championships and festivals around the World and won several prizes.
