Australia award for Aallagadda boy

Kurnool, March 16: Sculptor Harsha Vardhan Durugadda has been awarded the $50,000 Rio Tinto Sculpture Award for his Column of Sound.

The "most generous" award for sculpture in Western Australia, the honor was announced recently at the opening of the 13th annual Sculpture by the Sea here.

Harshavardhan, originally from Allagadda Mandal, Kurnool district, Andhra Pradesh, based his sculpture on the "visual dynamics of an audio wave" - that sound, temporal and ephemeral, translates into tactile and eternal, creating a paradigm shift of an individual's sensory experience.

"This is a wonderful work by a fabulous and imaginative artist. It is exceptionally hard and adventurous for an artist to exhibit from overseas, with the added costs and logistics.

"I am delighted for Harsha and look forward to him exhibiting many times in the future. He is also a very nice bloke and this award will be a major step in what I believe will be a great career," David Handley, Founding Director of Sculpture by the Sea, said.

The acquisitive award was presented by Rio Tinto, the Principal Partner of the exhibition, for permanent public placement in Western Australia.