Published Date:
19 November 2009
By Rebecca Draper
SOOTHILL has its own Taj Mahal, thanks to Naeem Akhtar and 7,500 matchsticks.
The project began as a quest to find a model of the Indian mausoleum and took off when Naeem realised he could make his own.
For four months the father-of-two spent a few hours a day piecing together the intricate details form a template to make the two-foot square model. Now he’s finished he plans to display it in his Broomsdale Road home.
But it wasn’t all plain sailing, and Naeem was close to giving up while working on the base, but he stuck with it and admits it became something of an obsession towards the end.
“Working on the base was getting very repetitive,” he said. “I started to give up hope because I felt like I wasn’t getting anywhere, but then it all started to come together and that gave me the motivation to carry on.
“I feel really good now I’ve finished it, like it’s all be worth it.”
Naeem, 29, said he had always been interested in art and admired people with artistic talent.
He added: “I liked the Taj Mahal and anything else unique. I’d love to visit it at least once.”
Naeem has already spotted another model he would like to have a go at, but said he would spend more time with his wife Uzma and children before jumping into a new project.
-
Last Updated:
18 November 2009 10:38 AM
-
Source:
Batley News
-
Location:
Batley