Art Related Guinness World Records to Inspire You
Achieving a Guinness World Record is a dream shared by many. A successful attempt at setting or breaking a world record could take spirited team efforts or an individual's eccentricity. Artists who attempt large-scale artwork are motivated by an interest to preserve an art form, earn a name for themselves and their community or fulfill the personal dream of achieving a Guinness World Record. If you are an ambitious artist, this list may be the inspiration you need to create a world record of your own. Here are 12 art-related Guinness World Records achieved by artists or communities around the world:
Largest Display of Sculptures Made From Recycled Materials:
The Hong Kong Federation of Youth worked together with the National Xu Beihong Arts Committee and organized the "Ten Thousand Galloping Horses, United with One Heart" in 2015 to commemorate the 120th anniversary of the birth of Xu Beihong, the creator of the Chinese masterpiece "Galloping Horse." Participants from over 140 different institutions painted paper-mache horse sculptures made from recycled materials and 10,074 sculptures were displayed in Shatin Racecourse, Hong Kong.
Largest Spice Painting:
The largest spice painting measures 73.39 m² and was created by Ameerjan Shaik in 2022 in Nellore, Andhra Pradesh, India. It took Ameerjan three months to do the painting. The art form belongs to ily painting which is a tribal art form in Maharashtra. By attempting this record, Ameerjan wanted to revive the art form and prevent its disappearance.
Largest Display of Crochet Sculptures:
Mother India's Crochet Queens (MICQ) achieved the record for the largest display of crochet sculptures in 2018. Mrs Subashri Natarajan collected 58,917 items made by members of MICQ from India as well as other countries and displayed them in Chennai, India.
Largest Quilling Paper Mosaic (Flag):
In 2019, two sisters from Pakistan, Umm-e-Habiba and Umm-e-Rubab, achieved the Guinness World Record for the largest quilling paper mosaic (flag) in Lahore, Pakistan. The quilling paper mosaic flag created was that of Pakistan and measured 89.98 m².
Largest Clay Pot (Baked):
Mmala Oefile and The Big Pot Africa (both Botswana) in Molepolole, Gaborone, Botswana, in 2020 achieved the record for the largest clay pot (baked). For them, the clay pot is of significance as it preserves their culture with the use of African primitive technology and by permanently embedding setswana/sekwana pottery patterns (lekgapo) into the design. The project took 2 years to complete and used two different types of locally available clay. The pot measures 3.531 m X 7.503 m.
Largest Painting Made by Footprints:
On 6 November 2016, over 900 DBS Bank Hong Kong Limited (China) employees contributed to a 2,353.57 m² painting made by footprints. The painting at the Hong Kong Sports Institute in Hong Kong, China, was completed during the DBS Sports Carnival, a company celebration. The artwork created by only using feet took a month to complete and is the largest of its kind in the world.
Largest Display of Origami Seals:
In November 2021, 14-year-old Aryan Amit Kashikar achieved the Guinness World Record for the largest display of origami seals. The display consisted of 2111 items at Symbiosis School, in Pune, Maharashtra, India. Symbiosis School, in Pune, Maharashtra, India. While creating the display, Aryan had the double objective of raising awareness for the plight of endangered aquatic animals and drawing attention to the positive benefits of learning the art of Origami.
Largest Embroidery by a Team:
The largest embroidery by a team was achieved by Gobierno del Estado de Hidalgo (Mexico) in Pachuca de Soto, Hidalgo, Mexico, on 23 October 2019. The artwork measured 103.96 m² and involved more than 1270 artisans and 10 m of fabric, 75,000 m of thread, 3,000 needles and 1,500 embroidery hoops.
Highest Contemporary Art Gallery:
An art gallery 14,000 feet above sea level made it into the Guinness World Record list as the highest contemporary art gallery in the world. The art gallery, "The Nautilus," was established by artist Miguel Doura in 2003 on the western face of Mount Aconcagua in Argentina. The Nautilus is a tent at Plaza de Mulas, featuring oil pastel paintings open during the climbing season from early December through early March.
Largest Art Lesson:
On 24th February 2018, 16,692 people gathered for an art lesson hosted by Expressions Stationery Shop Inc. (Philippines) to promote self-expression through art. This gathering in Makati City, Philippines, fetched the Guinness World Record for the largest art lesson for Expressions Stationery Shop Inc.
Largest Paper Mache (Papier-Mâché) Sculpture:
In 2017, Cámara Nacional de Comercio Servicios y Turismo de Guadalajara (Mexico) achieved the Guinness World Record for the largest paper mache sculpture at the XXIV Encuentro Internacional del Mariachi y la Charrería, in Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico. The artists spent 700 hours, 600 litres of glue mixture and 250 kg of brown craft paper to create nine paper mache sculptures of which a sculpture depicting a mariachi musician with a harp is the largest paper mache sculpture in the world. The sculpture measures 3.82 m in height, 3.46 m in length and 1.15 m in width.
Longest and Largest Anamorphic Pavement Art:
Yang Yongchun and Nine Color Rose Town (both China) in Lijiang, Yunnan, China, on 1 October 2016, achieved the Guinness World Record titles for both the largest and longest anamorphic pavement art. The artwork measures 391.93 m in length and 7.16 m in width, making it the largest anamorphic pavement art with an area of 2,807.39 m².
The list is neither complete nor absolute. There are many more superlatives in the art and crafts category within the list of Guinness World Records and an even higher number of attempts to break these. For instance, one of the popular art-related record of the largest drawing done by an individual has been broken 12 different times! Besides these, there is always room to create new records for the inspired artist.