He's very familiar with the texture of the thread. He has spun them many times before. Combining all the threads he has used since he began venturing into the nail and thread medium, the total length he has used would have crossed the world many times over.
But it's the kind of art that he will not get tired of. Whenever he is free, he can be found huddled in a peaceful corner of his home — his dedicated space which allows him to concentrate on what he does. Sometimes he would put on some subtle music to open up his mind so he can visualize what he wanted to appear on the canvas.
"The basic conception lies in the design /object you have chosen to do in the thread art. The colour combination, the geometry involved, the number of nails you decide based on the pattern," said Alla Ganga Prasad, a Muscat-based Indian artist who is a business manager by profession but is strongly pulled by his creative side.
"For example — a Mandala pattern can be very simple or a very complex design. The colour of the threads depends on how you wish to portray the artwork. Very vibrant artwork requires bright colours whereas a modest artwork will require semi-dark shades. The choice of colours lies within the spectrum of seven [7] colours – VIBGYOR. What comes out of it as a finished output is left to the imagination of the artist. That’s what creativity is all about," he said.
One of the recent pieces he has been showcasing in different exhibits is a Golden Peacock — which he said best exemplifies his thought process and showcases the artistry required from somebody who wants to delve into his kind of artistry and craftsmanship.
"I visualized this magnificent peacock in a sitting posture with its fan deck semi-opened. It has to portray humbleness. This attribute can be presented by choosing the right colour combinations. For a fine arts person, all he needs to do is to mix certain colours to generate the shade. Whereas in nail and thread art, you will have to create the same effect using multiple layers of thread," he explained.
"The weaving process depends on the number of layers needed to generate a required depth of field. A complicated artwork, like the golden peacock, took a year to complete – an approximation of 900 creative hours. Most of the time was spent on trial and errors as we have a limited scope of colours in silk threads," he said.
Alla grew up in a creative environment. He is third in a sibling of five, their eldest known in school as a good fine artist.
"I wanted to do something unique and different. Art and architecture always fascinated me. I was always fascinated by geometry. In fact, a primary school assignment of drawing concentric circles gave me the idea of pinning nails on a board and using strings to generate circles within circles," he shared.
He added, "I was fortunate to have been guided by my father, a renowned photographer and teacher at the Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur- Department of Architecture and Regional Planning. He inculcated in me the values of pursuing perfection in art."
It has been his father's photographic works and architectural designs of his students that planted the seed of geometry in Alla.
“I was often fascinated by the intricate design work that would go into some of these architectural models. I used to spend long hours along with the students of his department in mastering the art of constructing architectural models which involved geometry. While teaching photography, my father used to insist we capture shots of nature around us. The rarest photograph was always the blooming flower, the fresh leaves of a banana plant, a butterfly," he said.
Alla said that the most common misconception for this kind of art is that it's a male-dominated art form. Women had been known to deliver stunning pieces.
He said that it's an art form that requires patience and concentration and especially, knowledge of geometry.
"For those interested to get into this art form, there is no age limit for Art or music. One just needs desire and passion. Knowledge of geometry is a must and combined with a creative mind, one will be able to do wonders even with just nail and thread," he said.
"The most amazing thing about working with these mediums is that you have innumerable chances to correct your artwork without damaging the template. This is not possible in Fine arts. You can alter the colours at your will. Choosing the right colours and creating the depth of field by superimposing layers of threads generates a dimensional effect to the artwork. Patience is the key," he said.
Alla has been sharing tips and processes of the art form with people who are willing to learn who are above 15 years of age.
His most important reminder to everyone who would like to pursue what he does is "to give the liberty for the mind to open and explore the creativity in you."
He is currently busy working on the next project he called RUMI — the whirling dancers of Sufi which he said will be presented in the Dubai Art Exhibition in March 2022.
You can follow his work on Instagram @Nail.Thread.art.
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