Oman art: Carving it up with cuttlebone

Cuttlebone, also known as cuttlefish bone, is a hard, brittle internal structure and Indian -born artist Sandesh S. Rangnekar uses it to carve sculptures. Normally found on the beaches of Oman, the idea of carving a cuttlebone struck the artist while walking on a beach he found a squid bone lying on the wet sand. He took it home, cleaned it, observed it for a while and decided to carve.
Someone who sees art and beauty in every aspect of life and nature, Sandesh rediscovered his love for fine art in Oman and its beautiful landscapes. Sandesh carves his sculptures in a home studio, where an individual piece can take between four to 100 hours to complete, depending on the size and complexity of the sculpture.
While his works include major forts, people, historical landmarks, and nature that are considered as the icons of traditional and modern Oman, the one that is close to his heart is the sculpture of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said.
“I don’t use any special tools for etching. Instead, I use very simple tools such as crochet needles, watch-making apparatuses, or anything that could get me the desired result,” says Sandesh who is perhaps the only squid bone artist in the Sultanate.
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