Jai Narayan Singh works on the 17-foot-high statue of Phanishwar Nath Renu at his studio in Rajvanshi Nagar. Picture by Nagendra Kumar Singh

Patna, Jan. 25: The statues of Mahatma Gandhi at Gandhi Maidan and Jai Prakash Narayan at JP roundabout are famous landmarks of the city but few of us can name their maker.

Meet 88-year-old artist Jai Narayan Singh. He has been carving statues of freedom fighters and famous personalities of the state for more than 40 years. However, he has preferred to shun the limelight and live as a recluse.

Singh’s only driving force is his passion. “Even though I am 88, my hand does not shake when I shape a statue,” Singh told The Telegraph. “It is my passion that drives me.”

Expression of this passion can be found in a vast body of work, including statues of former Bihar chief minister B.P. Mandal at the Secretariat, poet Ramdhari Singh Dinkar at Kadamkuan, Karpoori Thakur near the Assembly, freedom fighter and social reformer Jagjivan Ram near 1 Aney Marg, and Veer Kunwar Singh at R-Block. He also carved the gun and cap icon one can spot at Kargil Chowk.

Despite the range of his handiwork, recognition has been shy. But Singh does not resent it. He said: “I do not regret the fact that the state government has not celebrated my work or recognised it with prizes. I am just doing my duty.”

At present, he has a team of 10 artists to help him sculpt. Singh’s latest project is a 17-foot-high sculpture of Phanishwar Nath Renu, the famous Hindi novelist and poet. It will be installed at Kankerbagh in March this year.

Years of experience have not made the work easy. “It is very difficult,” Singh said. “Statues of famous leaders require a lot of effort, concentration and dedication. The face is the most important part of making the statue.”

Asked about the decision of chief minister Nitish Kumar to replace Mahatma Gandhi’s statue in Gandhi Maidan and replacing it with a 40-foot-high statue, Singh said: “I am not disappointed over the decision. Everything happens for good. The statue I carved would surely be installed somewhere else.”

As he sits in the winter sun, taking a break from his hectic schedule, Singh recollects his early days as an artist. “After completing my diploma from the College of Arts and Crafts, Patna, I started making statues of famous personalities and freedom fighters. I joined the Chandradhari Museum, Darbhanga, as a sculptor. After working there for four years, I joined Patna Museum in 1963.”

The break in his work is short-lived. Singh itches to get back to work. “After I finish my current project, I will try to create a 108-foot-tall statue. It would probably be the tallest in India,” Singh said.