Sculptures of Marine Creatures Draw Crowds at India International Seafood Show

VISAKHAPATNAM:
The sculptures of popular sea creatures like shrimps and mud crabs, made by local sculptor Santosh Behera and mounted at the pavilion of Ministry of Commerce and Ind
ustry at the IISS here, were the cynosures of visitors, especially school children.
Incidentally, the ministry had set up its pavilion for the first time at the 20th edition of the India International Seafood Show (IISS), with all its Boards and statutory organisations like MPEDA (Marine Products Export Development Agency) and APEDA (Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority) showcasing their products and services.
The sculptor created the fascinating replicas of marine creatures made of metal and held together with thermocol, which were greatly admired by the awestruck school children from the city.
In a bid to tap and promote creative talents of the youth, MPEDA chairman Dr A. Jayathilak and secretary B. Sreekumar had invited Behera, a student of the Siddharth Fine Arts College, Vishakhapatanam, to create something unique for the show. It was also an attempt on the part of MPEDA to promote employment among the youth.
“Behera, who made the scintillating product at the event along with some fellow students, is not a novice in art; he has made some mind-blowing sculptures for various festivals in the past too. His creations at the Naval Fleet Show were also acclaimed,” an official of the MPEDA said.