Engineer-turned-artist sets Guinness record with chilli-turmeric painting

Amar Kale making his art (amar_kale_artist/Instagram)

The world is brimming with incredibly talented people. And Karnataka's Amar Kale is one such artist who has created history with his out-of-the-box thinking. When most people reach for turmeric and chilli powder for cooking, Kale, a 29-year-old artist from South India, created an art piece telling a story about heritage of his state.In January 2026, Kale made a painting measuring an astonishing 175.82 square metres (1,892.5 square feet) using turmeric and chilli powder. The artwork, made in Dharwad, Karnataka, earned him a place in the Guinness World Records for the largest spice painting.The story behind the art

The story behind this record is about a man who chose to leave an engineering job and follow his childhood passion. Kale grew up watching his father, who was also an artist.

He naturally developed an interest in the world of painting when he was young. He started learning tricks and techniques and experimenting with brushes.Eventually, the work started getting noticed by people, and requests for paintings followed. What had begun as a childhood interest turned into a career. Yet Kale completed a diploma in mechanical engineering and pursued a job.But in 2018, he decided to leave his engineering job to become a full-time artist.

According to Guinness World Records, Kale has spent around eight years pursuing art professionally. He is also entirely self-taught who works with oil and acrylic paints.Why turmeric and chilli powder

Amar Kale creating artwork using chilli and tumeric powder (amar_kale_artist/Instagram)

For his record-breaking creation, Kale chose two basic but extremely important kitchen ingredients instead of conventional paints. It was a deliberate choice. Karnataka has a long relationship with spices. Kale wanted his painting to celebrate that heritage using materials that were meaningful to the subject.

He used approximately 6 kg of turmeric powder and 5 kg of chilli powder to create the masterpiece. Their natural yellow and red tones gave the painting its distinctive appearance.The finished work features the outline of Karnataka with the iconic Hampi Chariot at its centre. Rather than creating an abstract display of colours, Kale used the spices to represent a recognisable symbol of the state's history.Hampi ChariotThe Hampi Chariot is one of the best-known landmarks associated with the historic ruins of Hampi, a UNESCO World Heritage Site celebrated for its monuments and architecture.

By placing it within the outline of Karnataka, Kale brought together the state's geographical identity and its cultural legacy."This artwork was my small contribution towards showcasing Karnataka’s rich culture, heritage, art and architecture to the world," he told Guinness World Records.Ten hours, two spices and a world record

The final painting of Hampi chariot

Kale completed the painting in around 10 hours. The resulting work covered 1,892.5 square feet, approximately two-thirds of a tennis court, and secured the Guinness World Records title for the largest spice painting.The achievement was recorded on January 27, 2026, in Dharwad, Karnataka. The artwork was subsequently put on public display.There is also a small but telling detail about what happened after the painting was completed. Kale had prepared more spice powder than he ultimately needed, but the surplus was donated rather than wasted.Not his first Guinness World Records titleHis first Guinness World Records achievement came in 2021, when he created 98 painted handprints in one minute.

That record has since been surpassed, but it marked an important milestone in his career.He later set another record for the largest painting by mouth by an individual. Completed in February 2026, the work measured 112.36 square metres (1,209.43 square feet). It depicted an Indian soldier and was inspired by Operation Sindoor.Kale became a three-time Guinness World Records title holder.For him, however, the point is not simply to collect titles.

He has explained that he wants each record-setting artwork to carry a meaningful concept or message, rather than exist only to break a numerical benchmark.That approach helps explain why his latest work focuses on Karnataka's heritage. The unusual medium draws people in, but the cultural story gives them something to remember.Art can begin anywhere

Kale's achievement brings together two very different worlds.

Turmeric and chilli powder are ingredients millions of people use without a second thought. In his hands, they became the colours with which he represented a state.When Kale left his engineering job in 2018, he didn’t think of making global records but just following his passion and work in the field which he loved since childhood. Eight years later, that decision has taken him into the Guinness World Records.He hopes to continue experimenting with art and creating more record-breaking works in the future. But his spice painting has already made a point worth remembering: creativity does not always depend on having the most sophisticated tools. It can begin with familiar materials, a clear idea and the willingness to try something different.