Thursday 14 / November / 2024
Muscat: An artist based in Oman has used 5,000 nails and approximately 900 yards of thread to create a stunning portrait of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said to pay tribute to Oman’s sovereign on National Day.
The exquisite portrait was created via the ‘string art’ method by Dr. Hafsa Banu Abid. The practising dentist, who has lived in Oman for over 30 years, said that it took three months to complete the work. “I have done a lot of string art but to do a portrait of a person it had to be someone par excellence.
“His Majesty is the epitome of peace, compassion, justice, integrity and love. I feel blessed as an expatriate to have lived in Oman for so many years under the wise leadership of such a great Sultan who has done so much for his people. This artwork, with all love and respect, is my humble way of thanking His Majesty.”
“There were times when I did feel a bit down as it did not seem like it was coming out the way I wanted but my family and close friends continued to encourage me,” she added.
“My son Eishaan and mother were supportive from the start. Because it was the portrait of our beloved Sultan, who holds a special place in our hearts, it had to be perfect.”
The incredible work of art is yet another milestone in an artistic career that began when Dr. Hafsa Banu Abid was a child.
“I always loved doing art since I was a child. Even after I began my career as a dentist to create smiles I never let go of my passion for art. I never confined myself to one medium either, allowing me to try different methods such as sketching, painting with acrylics, fabrics, glass, ceramics, casting hand impressions or moulding, painting on shells and even sand painting,” said Dr. Hafsa Banu Abid.
Like any work of art, creating the string-art portrait of the Sultan was not without its challenges. “The greatest challenge I faced was when I had to string all the nails together,” she said.
“As the nails I chose were smaller and sharper, the work became tedious and caused injuries to my fingers. Many times the string would just come loose and I had to redo it.”
But despite the challenges she faced, Dr. Hafsa Banu Abid would find the end result more than worth the effort.
“I felt satisfied and overwhelmed when the work of art was completed. It took three months to complete but was totally worth the time, patience and hardwork.” She described the reaction of family and friends as ‘priceless’.
Looking to the future, Dr. Hafsa Banu Abid said, “I am already working on creating another piece of string art around the theme of Oman and I intend to do much more artwork through the string art medium and other forms for National Day every year.”
