Wajid Khan - India's Nail Artist

Are you an artist? Art with pencils and oil paste etc, right. Could you make an art with nails or with any other material? Today I am going to introduce to an unusual artist. So, let's come to Indore, a city in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh.

You have seen a lot of Mother Mary and Jesus Christ pictures, but you have never seen a picture like this one. Look at it closely.

Mother Mary and Jesus Christ Nail Art

These are actually nails.....

Nail Art

Because the artist we have to meet is the India’s only nail artist. He can able to make art from nails, stones, medical equipment, bullets and spare auto parts. 

Wajid khan, he is the India’s only nail artist and holds a patent for Nail Art. He is about 39 years old, born on 10 March 1981 at Mandsaur in Madhya Pradesh.

Wajid Khan

In Wajid Khan’s studio you can’t find paint brushes and pencils, instead you can find hammers and nails. Because his way of working is different from everyone. The main thing is that he doesn’t sketch, and also, he doesn’t do any markings. Instead, he makes his portrait directly. 

When he makes a portrait, he put the board on the floor and hammer it. So, he can’t see the portrait either. What a steady and dedicated work he is doing! So, far three years, he would wait to find out, what he has made and how it looks. If he hammers a nail in a wrong place the whole portrait would be spoiled.

Khan making his portrait

His art is not limited to the nails. He has made an amazing portrait of the famous Sri Lankan architect, Geoffrey Bawa with stones.

Sri Lankan architect - Geoffrey Bawa 

When we look at the portrait from far, it looks like a portrait, when you go near you realize that this is made using small and big stones.

Making portraits with stones

It’s three-dimensional! Making it from such a short distance near the eye and understanding the impact from the close-up, this is a complicated thing – which Wajid was done very well.

Wajid is a perfectionist. Like a method actor he goes into the character completely to do justice with the portrait.  

                                    

    

In 2014, a sculpture was made by Khan from junk and automobile spare parts depicting a racing horse with its jockey. This amazing creation is made using spare parts of vehicles like Mercedes Benz, Hero Honda, and Passion Plus Bike. 

While talking with Hindustan Times, Khan said:

“The idea of creating a painting using the spare parts of automobiles came after I saw unused and mundane things lying in junkyards and then and there, I thought why not use them in my next creation"

He has made a portrait of Mahatma Gandhi the teacher of non-violence using bullets, the symbol of violence.

Bullet Art - Mahatma Gandhi 

In 2014, he became a part of “Save girl child” campaign and with the medical instruments used in the surgery, he created an awesome portrait depicting an innocent crying girl. He can make any kind of art with any kind of material in the world.

Art with medical equipment

One of his artworks is a part of Rashtrapati Bhawan, the official home of the President of India. He is also a philanthropist, an inventor and a sculptor. And do you know, his first ever portrait was auctioned at Rs. 20 lakhs.

He said, “The world has lots of trash to gift me and I am gifted with the Calibre to turn it into treasure.” Wajid India is famous for his various art forms like metal art, kinetic art, shadow art, stone art and nail art. His art work is showcased at the Rashtrapati Bhawan. This artist’s passion is solid, and because of this passion he has secured a place in Limca Book of Records, and also, he is the sole Indian artist who has patented his nail art.

Wajid Khan - Limca Book of Records

Among his other works includes 200 of his inventions, when he was studying in 5^th standard he invented the world’s smallest ‘electric iron’ and it was named in the Guinness Book of World Records. He has been awarded three times by the former president of India, late Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam.

One of his tribute to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel had garnered him attention and praises through his shadow art technique from across the globe. He used all mechanical parts of automobiles as it signifies the iron man of India, he stated:

“The reason I chose shadow art is that I believe that every human being grows in someone’s shadow. Similarly, our country has grown in the shadow of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel."

He again stated:

“Since he is known as the Iron man, I thought of using parts made out of iron. Putting these parts together, I was reminded of the time when in 1947 he united the country.”

Shadow Art

After two and a half months of hard work, he completed his masterpiece to which the Governments of Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, and African Government want to place the installation. Mr. Khan decided to place it under Madhya Pradesh administration.

Recognizing his outstanding ‘Nail Art’, he was named in the Golden Book of World Records (GBWR) in June 2012. And his amazing real-like 3D portraits has secured him in the India Book of Records.

Now, his life’s objective is to teach art for free, for rest of his life, he wants to change people’s perspective with his art….What a amazing man he is!

Artist Wajid Khan's signature:

“Art speaks where words are unable to explain”