Artist Ajay Kumar creates micro Ganesha in needle’s eye

Hanamkonda: Those who invented the sewing needle, one of humankind’s first tools and whose history dates back to 2800 BC, may not have imagined how it could attract the attention of future artists. As old and as important as they are in their basic purpose of sewing, needles have equally been charming tools for micro artists who like challenges to prove their skills and offer something unique to the world.

One such artist is Mattewada Ajay Kumar of Girmajipet in Warangal. As means to commemorate Ganesh Chavithi falling on Friday, he came up with something big, nevertheless in a miniature form of Lord Ganesha in his full splendor. Normally, one feels it tough and needs focus to pull the thread through the eye of a needle. Imagine how much precision, perseverance and dexterity it requires sculpting a sculpture in the eye of a needle.

Yet, the artist has succeeded in scrupulously carving an idol of the deity in the eye of the needle. It took him 12 hours spanning over five days to carve the idol made of wax and natural colours to add tone to the idol. Furthermore, adding richness to the idol, he placed a 24-carat gold chain with a locket in the deity’s neck.

One who sees the idol will surely think ‘small is beautiful’. It then follows with a series of exclamations as there is incredible detail in the sculpture. It needs a good magnifying glass to appreciate the 1.2 mm sized idol and can see even the small tail of the mouse by the side of the deity. “I



wanted to do something worthwhile marking this Ganesh Chaturthi, that’s why embarked on this task,” the 45-year-old Ajay Kumar told The Hans India here on Friday at his workshop in Warangal on Thursday while pointing at the miniature sculpture he created.

 

In the past, he carved out the portraits of Mahatma Gandhi, Gautama Buddha, Kakatiya Keerti Thoranam, former Prime Minister late P V Narasimha Rao and former President late APJ Abdul Kalam on rice grains. His works earned accolades from the Telangana ideologue, the late Prof K Jayashanker and the Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao.

He attributes his skills to his father the late M Venkatachari, an expert goldsmith. Being a favoured jeweller for cinema artists, Jayaprakash Reddy, Tanikella Bharani and others, he also draws inspiration from world famous micro-sculptor Willard Wigan of Birmingham, England.

His creations, functional miniature a lock and key and a fan earned him place in Limca Book of Records in 2004 and 2008 editions, respectively and a functional scissors weighing 0.180 milligrams with a length of 11 mm he made is appreciated by one and all.

He said, “I wish to test my skills in micro art and it is what makes me happy”. To succeed as a micro artist, one needs exceptional patience and focus of mind, besides the zeal to achieve something big, he said as an advice to those aspiring to become a micro artist.