With the State mourning the untimely death of former Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa, a jewellery designer from Coimbatore has poured out his tribute to her in the form of a wax statue.

UMT Raja, 47, who works in a jewellery store in Coimbatore plans to place his work of art near the cemetery of Jayalalithaa, who passed away at the Apollo Hospitals on Monday. “I am not a party member, but an admirer. She is a role model for artists like me who strive to achieve a name. Through my work, I am paying tribute to the successful artiste that she was,” he told the Covai Post.

The statue, made out of one and a half kg of black wax, has the image of a mother, a father and a child raising their arms in sorrow at the demise of Jayalalithaa. Two white candles have been placed on the sides of the statue with a crying face. The black colour was chosen to depict the dark cloud of sorrow that her loss has brought.

“I was wounded and started crying when I heard the news. I wanted to convert the sadness into something creative and this idea struck me. The whole scene depicts the sorrow inside me and the millions of admirers she has,” said Raja.

Saying that the will power, self-confidence and talents of the late leader inspired him, Raja hoped that his daughters would follow her footsteps. “They are acting in soap operas with a Tamil entertainment channel. I want them to become an actor like her. Though it is not easy to see another person like her, people can strive to become like her,” Raja said.