KOCHI: We have seen many who conveyed their thoughts on canvases. But it is quite rare to see someone transforming the tool itself as a canvas. Meet, Afsal Naranipuzha, the Malappuram-based mechanical engineering graduate, popularly known as 'Afsal NPZ,' who made a mark in the field of pencil art with scintillating works.
Like many miniature artists, it was the Telugu movie Eega that inspired Afsal to try his luck in the world of graphites. Gradually, the 'timepass' transformed into a serious affair.
"I started the work a year ago. It was an attempt out of sheer curiosity. When my friends appreciated the works, I decided to make them on a commercial basis," says Afsal, who currently works as a tutor in a private firm at Tirur.
Though Afsal has painted wall art during his engineering days, the miniature art was quite testing for him. "It took more than a day to complete my first work. Though it was just a 'heart design,' the effort to get the final result is huge. Nowadays, I take around an hour to complete one work. The pricing depends on the effort," says the 23-year-old.
Interestingly, the artist made the tools on his own according to the need. "I used my engineering knowledge for grinding the needles, blades, surgical knife and other materials needed for the work. Due to the severe strain to eyes, I stopped using magnifying lenses during the work," says Afsal.
In addition, he went through an array of research for selecting apt pencils for the work. "Each artwork demands different sizes of graphite. Depending on the style of the work, we have to combine the pencils. I prefer long pencils with a decent diameter," he says.
Other than carving out shapes of renowned faces and monuments, Afsal made an artwork last September as a tribute to fishermen for their relentless rescue operations during the floods. He has also presented his creations to celebrities such as Dulquer Salmaan and Soubin Sahir.
Although he took it up out of passion, Afsal confesses there were moments when he lost his temper during the work. "To avoid all sorts of distractions, I usually work at night. However, I often lost my cool each time the tip of the pencil broke. But, that's the part and parcel of the profession," says Afsal.
Afsal has participated in several group exhibitions and is planning to organise a solo event soon. "I have been part of several events held at Thrissur and Palakkad. As of now, I have completed 50 works in all. A solo event demands even more. I'm working on a few projects and expects to complete them by next year," he says.
Reach out to him @ instagram/Afsal Npz