Thiruvananthapuram: Sculptor Kanayi Kunhiraman has criticised the distortion of his iconic 'Sagarakanyaka' sculpture in an advertisement. The image of the famed sculpture was used without permission and altered on a billboard erected in the city. Kanayi, along with cultural activists, wants the hoarding to be removed.

The controversial advertisement, promoting a hospital’s breast cancer screening programme, features the upper portion of Kanayi’s giant sculpture at Shankhumukham Beach, with one breast deliberately erased to signify mastectomy, a common breast cancer treatment. The billboard asks: “Do you see a change?”

Speaking to 'Mathrubhumi', Kanayi described the use of his work as “a gross insult,” noting that while the sculpture is government-owned, the authorities, cultural activists and the public should oppose the alteration. He also urged that the billboard be taken down immediately.

'Sagarakanyaka' holds a place in the Guinness Book of Records as the world’s largest merperson sculpture. Measuring 87 feet long and 25 feet high, it took Kanayi two years to complete. The government installed it at Shankhumukham Beach in 1992 and developed a surrounding park. Now a landmark of the beach, it remains one of Kerala’s most celebrated sculptures.