Sand-tastic art! - Filipino artist carves giant Messi portrait into Tandag beach for World Cup

Filipino artist Roderick 'Papalo' Saranza turned the beaches of Tandag City in Surigao del Sur, into his canvas, using sand and virtual reality tools to create large-scale portraits.

Footage shows the 57-year-old artist working on his latest piece, a several-metre-wide sand portrait of football star Lionel Messi.

"I painted Messi for the World Cup. That was what was on my mind," Saranza explained.

Saranza previously worked as a wedding photographer and videographer, but his business stalled when the COVID-19 pandemic shut down public events. After years of depression and uncertainty, he turned to sand art in 2024.

"At first, doing this sand art by the seashore was just a hobby for me. Second, it actually helps my body because when I was just staying idle at home, my body felt quite heavy. Since I started doing sand art, I’ve felt my body grow a bit stronger," he said.

Using virtual reality goggles, Saranza maps out the first outlines of his large beach murals. Once the carving and shading are done, he flies a drone overhead to check the details and capture the finished work.

"Because if it's just canvas – like just painting at home – it feels like there's no adventure. It's kind of boring. So I thought of another idea for what would be better and unique," the artist commented.

From the ground, the process can be hard to read. From above, the images come into focus, helping his work reach millions of viewers on Facebook.

"When I saw him, I thought he was just playing around. But when I saw what Sir Tata was truly doing, it is genuinely inspiring, especially for the youth today," local said.

"[He is] an inspiration for us, and we are proud of him, especially us folks from Tandag," added another resident.

Each tide eventually washes the beach clean, but Saranza's videos have carried his work far beyond Tandag, turning a personal recovery project into a viral success.

(Viory)
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Видео Sand-tastic art! - Filipino artist carves giant Messi portrait into Tandag beach for World Cup канала ABS-CBN News