A nib point is a big canvas

LAHORE - Arshad Iqbal Mughal is an amazing artist. He is an expert in engraving pictures on tiny dots hardly visible to the naked eye. Truly amazing feat, accomplished by an artist as humble as they get. He represented Pakistan in many international art exhibitions held in USA, Germany, Belgium, London, Kuwait, Dubai, Iran and Doha. Arshad Mughal is such an artiste, who can bring fame, foreign exchequer and laurels for the country if the government supports him financially and encourage him. In an interview with The Nation, Arshad Mughal disclosed that he had engraved the pictures of many famous personalities, such as Quaid-e-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah, Queen Elizabeth, Allama Iqbal, Abraham Lincoln, Bill Clinton and many other personalities on minuscule spots not bigger than a nib mark. He proudly calls his art 'micro-engraving. Mughal said now he had also started engraving works on the small stones, which is very hard working and difficult. He is the man literally possessed by his skill. For more than 40 years, this 65-year old craftsman had been carving dazzling images so tiny that the details are invisible to the naked eye. Mughal claims that he walks, talks, eats and even sleeps with this extra-ordinary craft. Some of the works of Mughal were on display at the Lahore Museum. He claimed that there was no other man in the world, who can do this type of work like me. In this field Arshad Mughal was the only Pakistani, who represented Pakistan at international fronts. His work was not saleable, Arshad Mughal declared. He said he was doing this work only to register the Pakistans name in the Guiness Book of World Records as a Pakistani. He said his main purpose was to bring good name to the country. Mughal said he engraved around 500 pictures on a pin-head. Thirteen years ago, he decided to work with 24-carat gold and has recently turned to platinum. Interestingly enough, the size for these pictures simply goes on decreasing. Today, in comparison, a pin-head looks like a big canvas. He reveals that he has made over 50 pieces on such minute spots that it is almost impossible to see them. 'DOTS are so tiny that even a dust particle possess a threat, for it can hinder or worse destroy the effort. He says that in order to avoid any accidents, he has to keep his work area, which is actually my laboratory completely air-tight. According to Mughal, he takes about 20 to 30 days to finish one piece. He says that he works for six hours each night. When asked why at nights, he says, Well, because the slightest movement can ruin my work and so when all my family members have gone to sleep, the work begins. Mughal donated a statue of Buddha and Saraswati to the Lahore Museum in 1984. Later, he presented a microscopic profile of Jinnah on gold. In return all he got was a short letter of appreciation. He says that he gave away presents to the heads of 15 countries. The result is Nothing. Mughal says that he tried to enter the Guiness Book of World Records, but he was always told that there was no category for this. He said he needed government help to pursue his case at the Guiness Book of World Records, because this credit will not go to me rather it will be the credit of Pakistan. He said he will keep trying and challenge any one in the world to create images smaller than mine. Mughal disclosed that he had dozens of ideas and the government can bring big exchequer from the foreign countries by using these ideas. He said he has also ideas that by using which it would be impossible for any one to make fake currency. Mughal said that he had spent all his earnings in this field but now he is facing difficulties to continue this work. To continue this work I need government financial support, he stressed. Mughal intends to train the students of NCA, GCU and the Punjab University in this art.