Tag Archives: Maryam Siddiqui – Artist – Madhya Pradesh

Artist Wajid Khan making India’s tallest Swami Vivekanand statue

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Indore, MADHYA PRADESH :

International artist Wajid Khan, famous for his ‘iron nail art’, is making the tallest statue of Swami Vivekanand in India that would be installed in Uttar Pradesh.

International artist Wajid Khan, famous for his ‘iron nail art’, is making the tallest statue of Swami Vivekanand in India that would be installed in Uttar Pradesh. The statue made of ashtdhatu (alloy) will be 170-feet tall and will be installed either in Lucknow or Agra, said Khan.

He said the statue will be completed in six months. Khan is here to take part in the four-day International Art Festival being organised at the Aligarh Muslim University (AMU).

Though Wajid Khan has not studied in any university or college, he has made a mark for himself by his craftsmanship in metal statue making. He is also making a sculpture for FIFA 2022 to be held in Qatar. The project will take five years to complete.

“A 40-feet statue of Swami Vivekanand is installed in Kolkata and that is his tallest statue. Now, the work on making his 170-feet statue has started in Indore,” said Khan.

“The project is being financed by some businessmen from UP, Delhi and Gujarat. They will decide on the place where the statue will finally be installed. As of now, the first preference is Lucknow and the second is Agra. Due to any reason, if the statue is not installed these cities, the third option will be Delhi,” he added.

“The statue is being made from eight metals including iron, zinc and copper. For the time, the total cost of the statue cannot be revealed,” he said.

Wajid Khan said he is also making a 10×8 ft statue of British Queen Elizabeth, which will be installed at the Royal Palace in London.

Khan has embarked upon a new venture. A proposed retro Bhopal city will be established in 40 acres area in Bhopal and the artist will give it a 2,000 years old look. The project is being financed by some businessmen.

source: http://www.hindustantimes.com / Hindustan Times / Home> Cities> Lucknow / by Pradeep Saxena, Hindustan Times,Aligarh / March 15th, 2018

Sunday Guest – His work not education gives him a decent life

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Indore , MADHYA PRADESH :

WajidKhanMPOs20mar2018

Indore :

Proving that school education is not the only way to success, artist Wajid Khan, whose studied up to Standard IV  in the MP Board Examination, earns lakhs of rupees by selling his paintings.

Sharing his success story, he said, “I never enjoyed reading or writing, instead working with real objects and machines.” Born with a silver spoon, he had never imagined living on footpath.

“Unfortunately, when I could not clear Class V board examination, my parents kicked me out,” Khan said. He elaborated that his mother Roshanara had given him Rs 1300 and told him to become successful and make her proud.

Walking 13 km near the railway track from his village Songiri to Mandsaur railway station, he was scared and paranoid about being robbed. “Then, I saw the bright moon shinning ahead, and it was my silver lining,” Khan said.

Taking the first train from Mandsaur, he reached Ahmedabad. “I lived on footpath there and started a small business of buying and selling old clothes,” Khan said.

Investing his talent using scrap material, he tried to make something useful. “Finally, after a number of attempts, I was able to make a small replica of an iron,” Khan said.

His inventions caught attention of engineering students, who connected him to their guide Prof Anil Gupta. “Gupta suggested me to become artist and advised me to shift to Indore,” Khan said.

He explained that Indore is the ‘city of success’, where people accept new ideas and promote them. “Again, I was living on footpath in Indore, when someone gave me an opportunity to live in his store room as care taker,” Khan said.

With a small income and place to stay, he started working on his art work. “I had been visiting my hometown frequently then, and during one of the trips, I picked up a box of nails from there,” Khan said.

Using those nails, he decided to make a portrait of Gandhi. “I started making that painting with my helpers in 2007, which I completed in 2010,” Khan said.

The painting was sold for Rs 20 lakh. “Further, I invested in other paintings and continued making portraits of famous people,” Khan said.

After a few years, his parents arranged his marriage with Maryam Siddiqui, who was an artist as well. “My paintings got the missing detailing touch from Maryam,” Khan said.

Sharing his philosophy, Khan quoted the importance of doing what you love. “I did not study, but I did something that makes me happy, and that is why I am successful,” Khan said.

source: http://www.freepressjournal.in / The Free Press Journal / Home> Indore> Sunday Guest / by Tina Khatri / September 25th, 2016