From Sand to Leaf: Madhurendra Kumar’s Fresh Take on International Diplomacy

Madhurendra Kumar, a sand‑art virtuoso from Bihar, once again pushed artistic boundaries during the recent BRICS Summit. This time, he abandoned his typical sand medium and chose a fresh banana leaf—traditionally used for serving food—as a backdrop for carving portraits of the summit’s chief participants.

The artist invested about fifteen days in the project, painstakingly rendering the contours of leaders such as Narendra Modi, Xi Jinping, Vladimir Putin, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and others. The leaf’s smooth finish demanded a steady hand, yet Kumar succeeded in highlighting fine features like eye lines, beards and nuanced facial expressions. A welcoming slogan, “WELCOME TO INDIA BRICS 2026,” completes the composition.

Kumar explains that his aim extends beyond portraiture; he wants to project India’s spirit of hospitality, peace and collaboration through art. His varied portfolio—ranging from sand dunes to ash, mud and fruit pigments—demonstrates his belief that any surface can become a canvas when imagination leads. The leaf portraits have become a social‑media sensation, reinforcing the notion that art can foster global cooperation.