Meet Wajid Khan, who turns nails, bullets and auto parts into therapy and art
Wajid Khan, a skilled and talented artist from India / Photo courtesy of Wajid Khan
Wajid Khan was just 14 when his mother handed him Rs 1,300 ($20) and bade him farewell, saying, “move from here and live your own life and achieve your goal.” Wajid never dreamed that the journey he started would lead him to Dubai 22 years later.
Wajid is best known now for his portraits made of nails, and the first that he offered for sale earned him Rs 200,000 ($3107). His most famous nail portraits are of Mahatma Gandhi; His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai; Dhirubhai Ambani, the founder of Reliance Industries Limited; and Jesus Christ. Apart from nails, Wajid also creates art from medical equipment and automobile parts. He also made a portrait of Gandhi using bullets in homage to the late Indian leader who promoted nonviolence. “I intend to use all kinds of waste and transform them into art,” he told My Salaam.
Wajid Khan, a skilled and talented artist from India / Photo courtesy of Wajid Khan
NAILING SUCCESS
Wajid was born in a village near Mandsaur, a city in the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. Wajid had been forced to live with his maternal grandparents because of family problems, and his mother understood that her talented son, who had already invented a strong contender for the world’s smallest electric iron, needed to move away from home to make the most of his abilities.
After many years of struggle and poverty, Wajid has indeed made it big. An artist who wears many hats and has several world records and inventions against his name, Wajid is now in the process of setting up a studio in Dubai. “At present, I have a workshop and two studios in India, including one in Mumbai,” he said. “Now I am setting up another in Dubai, and it should open within eight months.”
A studio in Dubai would be a natural extension for the artist whose work has now gone global. He is due to exhibit in London later this year and has an upcoming project in Africa. “I’m doing a portrait of Queen Elizabeth, and once that is done I will be ready for the London show,” the 36-year-old said.
Wajid Khan, a skilled and talented artist from India / Photo courtesy of Wajid Khan
YOUNG INVENTOR
After leaving home in 1995, Wajid went to Ahmedabad, in western India, where he sold clothes on the footpath to make a living. A lucky break with the help of friends saw him landing a job at the National Innovation Foundation in Ahmedabad.
At the Foundation, Wajid began experimenting with various media, from Thermocol to nails. By 2005, he had made his first portrait from nails, that of Mahatma Gandhi. “My first portrait took me over six months,” Wajid recalled. Now, he needs about half that time. The Gandhi portrait is his favourite piece of work, and despite an offer of Rs 5,000,000 ($77,693), Wajid won’t part with it.
Wajid has tried to make sure that he gives back to society. He trains underprivileged children, up to 100 at a time, in his studios and workshop. Along with his wife Maryam, Wajid also conducts workshops for children in schools on art. He has lent his help to promote various campaigns as well. In June 2016, to mark World Environment Day, Wajid painted the dried street trees in Indore. To promote the Save the Girl Child movement, the artist created an artwork of a young crying girl using medical equipment.
And at the end of the day, for Wajid, art is therapy. “Art helped me overcome the tough days,” Wajid said. “Allah has given me a talent; I want to make the most of it.”
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