Painter Awtar Singh Virdi with a certificate from Guinness World Records. Picture by Uma Shankar Dubey

Jamshedpur, Oct. 3: It was a childhood dream come true for city-based anamorphosis painter Awtar Singh Virdi when he was acknowledged by Guinness World Records, in July, as having created the world?s largest anamorphosis portrait.

Images in anamorphosis paintings have to be viewed with the help of a mirrored cylinder. They otherwise appear as colours splashed on the canvas at random.

Sixty-four-year-old Virdi?s has painted an anamorphosis portrait of former US President George Bush. Talking to The Telegraph, Virdi said the portrait, which took three-and-a-half months to complete, is 10 feet in length and 9 feet and 10 inch in width and can be viewed with a 4.5-ft tall mirrored cylinder.

According to Virdi, there are a few anamorphosis painters in the world who work using various instruments and geometrical techniques but there is no one, except for him, who can make a freehand anamorphosis portrait. In his career spanning over 50 years, Virdi has made more than 100 paintings, including about 60 anamorphosis portrait of famous personalities like Mother Teresa, JRD Tata, Indira Gandhi and APJ Abdul Kalam.

Buoyed by the Guinness honour, Virdi and his elder son Virendra Singh are now planning a new venture. ?Thanks to the recent efforts of leaders of both countries, the relations between India and Pakistan have started to show signs of improvement. So, my son and I have planned to visit Pakistan later this year with an anamorphosis painting of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and President Pervez Musharraf together,? said Virdi. Though only a small step, Virdi is confident that his visit could work wonders. ?Art has no boundaries and I am sure my paintings will attract people. We will tell them about the feelings of several Indians who are longing to unite with their family members who were separated from them during Partition,? he added.