Artist's record spice painting made from chilli and turmeric is stunning tribute to India
An artist paid tribute to his homeland by creating a beautiful painting out of chilli and turmeric powder.
Amar Kale (India) claimed the record for largest spice painting with a stunning creation measuring 175.82 m² (1892.5 sq ft), about two-thirds the size of a tennis court.
The 29-year-old created his artwork in Dharwad, Karnataka, India, on 27 January.
He said: “This artwork was my small contribution towards showcasing Karnataka’s rich culture, heritage, art and architecture to the world. I wanted to represent the identity of my state through a unique and meaningful artwork.
“Karnataka is known for its spices, so I chose everyday kitchen spices as my artistic medium. I used only turmeric and chilli powder because their natural yellow and red tones represent the colours associated with Karnataka.
“Using these two colours, I created the outline of Karnataka featuring the iconic Hampi Chariot. I wanted to show that even simple materials like kitchen spices can be transformed into meaningful historical art. For me, this painting is more than a record attempt - it is an artistic tribute to Karnataka and its rich heritage.”
Amar used around 5 kg of chilli powder and 6 kg of turmeric powder in his artwork, and the extra he’d prepared was donated so that none of it went to waste.
He’s been pursuing art professionally for around eight years and is completely self-taught.
He primarily works with oils and acrylics and specializes in realistic artworks and portraits.
“For me, art is not simply a profession - it is a way of expressing my creativity, emotions and ideas,” Amar said.
He found a love for art in childhood and was inspired by his father, a fellow artist, to first pick up a paintbrush.
He said: “Even during my school days, I was deeply interested in painting and started learning to work with professional-quality art materials and techniques at a very early age. As I continued developing my skills, people began appreciating my work and I started receiving more and more requests for my paintings.
“Although I had completed a diploma in mechanical engineering and initially pursued an engineering career, the growing response to my artwork made me realize that art was what I truly wanted to dedicate my life to. In 2018, I made the important decision to leave my engineering job and pursue painting professionally. Since then, I have devoted myself completely to art, continuously experimenting, improving my techniques and creating works in my own realistic style.”
Read about more record-breaking artworks in our Arts and Entertainment section.
Amar decided to attempt the record so he could achieve “something rare and extraordinary” in his field.
He first entered the record books in 2021 by creating the most painted handprints in one minute – a total of 98, since broken by Dinesh Gupta (India) with 99.
Amar said: “After my first record, I set a personal goal to pursue art and painting-related Guinness World Records titles, but I wanted every artwork to have a meaningful concept and message rather than being created simply to break a record. This vision led to my second title, followed just two days later by my successful attempt for largest painting by mouth by an individual.”
He set this one in February with a total area of 112.36 m² (1209.43 sq ft).
He added: “Becoming a Guinness World Records title holder was once a dream; becoming a three-time title holder has been a journey of creativity, persistence and self-belief. Each record has encouraged me to explore new ideas and push the boundaries of what I can achieve through art.”
With his latest record-breaking artwork, which took around 10 hours to complete, Amar hopes to show people the rich legacy of art, culture, heritage and architecture that Karnataka has to offer.
He said: “I also wanted to show that extraordinary art can be created from the simplest materials. Spices that we use every day in our kitchens can also become a medium for creating a large-scale historical artwork. Through this painting, I hope to inspire people and show the world that Karnataka still has artists who can transform such unconventional materials into meaningful works of art.”
The painting went on public display after the attempt.
Amar hopes to go on to achieve many more records in the field of art.