Rice Fields Turn Canvas for Artwork Honoring Modi

Thayyil Praseed, a farmer in Wayanad, has created a portrait of Narendra Modi using multiple rice varieties. This 'paddy art', a unique blend of agriculture and art, portrays the prime minister's face in a Congress stronghold. Praseed is known for his previous artworks and has won national recognition.

In Wayanad's verdant paddy fields, a farmer has crafted a vast living artwork by growing rice in different colors to depict Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Intended to celebrate Modi's 75th birthday on September 17, the portrait was completed later by Thayyil Praseed.

Over the last decade, farmer Thayyil Praseed from Sulthan Bathery has ingeniously combined agriculture with artistry. This latest piece includes five rice varieties, such as the deep violet Kalabathi and pale lavender Dabar Shala. Prepared in the Nambiar Kolli paddy field, the project involved precise transplantation of 105 varieties of colored rice, creating a large-scale portrait visible from above.

The creation adds irony in Wayanad, a Congress bastion represented by Priyanka Gandhi Vadra. Praseed's artwork draws inspiration from his previous pieces, depicting historical and cultural figures using rice. He has garnered significant acclaim, culminating in the National Plant Genome Award for best farmer in 2023.

(With inputs from agencies.)