View them from any distances, the gigantic sand mandalas created by Monsieur Perdu are simply spectacular. What’s more incredible is how this French sand artist is able to visualize and accurately render this sand art form in such mammoth proportions.
Sand mandalas are nothing new. In fact, Tibetan monks create sand mandalas as a form of meditation. For them, it depicts the impermanence of life, since the sand design of the mandalas scatters and blows away naturally and merges with the earth. According to the monks, mandalas provide an avenue to experience this form of mindfulness and creativity. For creating the mandalas, these monks use a cone-shaped metal funnel to direct the colored sand.
However, most sand art enthusiasts need to purchase the colored sand and readymade templates for making mandalas. They use chalk to draw the design on the ground using the template that is available in standard sizes. With the help of the funnel, they fill the blank spaces, choosing their own colors.
What Perdu does is a bit different. He does not buy sand but uses the beach as his canvas. He also doesn’t use any colors but relies on the natural shade of the beach sand. Using a template is out of the question since his designs are so large that the template that size are simply not available or practical. Moreover, he also doesn’t require a template, since the designs are already in his head.
Using only and a floor wiper as his art tool, Perdu goes about creating mandalas of different sizes and designs. What’s amazing is he does all this in freehand with such accuracy that it has to be seen to be believed. It’s really a pity that his great creations get washed away by the waves since each one of them are collectors’ items.
Perdu’s mandalas and especially his videos on how he makes them are wowing the internet viewers. On Instagram, he enjoys a following of more than 24,000 followers and counting. This fan following is not surprising, since he makes the intricate art of mandala designing so pleasing to look at.
Monsieur Perdu