Artistic Invention

MEET TARIQ SHARIF – A MAN FOR WHOM A NECESSITY QUITE LITERALLY LED TO INVENTION

This invention is the artsy kind; what does it have to do with cars? Well, the kind of art that Tariq AKA “Rick” does quite literally has no equal. This is the kind of stuff that appreciates in value and his clientele list includes names such as Simon Cowell, and Eva Longoria. So how did this bold new art form take shape? We had a little chat with Tarek to find out.

Tariq, this is some really cool work! Tell us a little bit about how this began! Well it started a couple of years ago. What happened was that I wanted to use a black matt finish and a sharp bright blue for a spider man image that I was working on. For some reason, I simply couldn’t get it done to the vision that I had had in mind.

I even went to all the printers in Bahrain but none of them could match what I was looking for.

Then as I was printing, the paper jammed and I was like damn it, it would have been easier to cut this out! That’s when a light bulb went off and I began testing out this idea!

Talk about Discovery! Tell us more about how the idea progressed and how it led to cars! I initially began doing my own pet projects and when I showed them off to some people, they said that I had a winner on my hands. Slowly but surely, I began doing a lot of portraits for families and friends. It sort of spiraled upwards from there and now it’s picking up with celebs; I have made Louise Rednap, Simon Cowell and Eva Longoria and hopefully soon the Royal Family! I’ve always loved cars, and there are some absolutely gorgeous cars out there – more like art in itself – so it was only natural that I wanted to include cars in my art.

Could you briefly describe how you go about creating these brilliant works of art? The process is all about planning out the layers, and mapping out what paper colors will be used in the meticulous process of cutting and layering. In the beginning it was a nightmare, but with a little bit of determination and some blood loss (blades are really sharp), I accomplished what I set out to do and now enjoy creating these artworks and blowing people’s minds when they realize that are only looking at cut paper!

Where and how do you see this progressing or evolving into? I really want to make this my full time job and hopefully become famous! I guess I have the same sort of delusions that Kanye West has! (laughs).

Do you believe that this is your passion or that you’ve found your true calling in life? I believe that my calling is to be a creative. 

By

ARABIAN MOTORS