Epic Game Of Thrones pencil microsculpture exhibition launches in Singapore
HBO Asia always have something special planned with each new season of Game Of Thrones – this time it’s something on a much smaller scale. Yet, it’s no less epic – they have commissioned Russian artist Salavat Fidai to create 16 themed sculptures from Game Of Thrones, all etched on the tips of pencils.
If it sounds crazy, it is. While I sometimes have trouble sharpening a pencil, here Fidai has produced wonderfully detailed masterpieces that are worth a close-up look. The exhibition is now open (till Jun 4) at K+ Curatorial Space at Scotts Square. And admission is free!
Game Of Thrones: A Pencil Microsculpture Exhibition
- K+ Curatorial Space
- Scotts Square #03-11/12/13, 6 Scotts Road, S’pore 228209
- April 22 to June 2
- 1130am to 830am daily
- Free Admission
At the exhibition, you’ll get a magnifying glass to see the pencils up close, with each stored within a bell jar. The 16 sculptures are not for sale, so this is your only real chance to see them. That said, Fidai has created some GoT-inspired pieces that you can bring home. Hopefully you have at least S$1,100 to spare!
The exhibition is extra special, as Singapore is the first stop – and for now, it’s the only stop for it. It’s a pity if these pieces don’t get to tour the world – they’re that good. The microsculptures feature familiar items from the Game Of Thrones universe, from the Iron Throne to sigils from the various houses.
UP CLOSE WITH SALAVAT FIDAI
And you might have seen Fidai’s work before – he’s a world-renowned artist, and even @Instagram follows him on … Instagram. He usually works on tips of pencils with diameters between 2mm to 5mm, but he’s also recently branched out to mechanical pencils. Yes, 1mm- and 0.5mm-thick graphite. (Me, I sometimes can’t even get them out of the case without breaking them.) Beyond the Game Of Thrones sculptures, his favourite works so far are the Eiffel Tower and Wall-E.
All his work is done with an X-Acto knife. A sculpture usually takes him from 12 hours to 14 days. But a special one – like the Iron Throne – took him two weeks, and he had to restart twice just to get it done. He calls it “one of the most challenging” yet.
While he uses a microscope to work on this, Fidai admits that he has perfect eyesight. At the launch event, he told a story of how he went to the doctor after he felt that his eyes were tired. But instead of finding out that he needed classes, he ended up reading the entire eye chart with no problem.
But it’s not just perfect eyesight that helps – Fidai has really steady hands. And while he sometimes does make mistakes, he doesn’t flip tables like some of us would. He said the sculpturing process is almost like meditation, so he’s in the zone anyway. “I just put down the pencil, pick up a new one, and start working again.” It helps that he’s a clam person by nature, he said.
Fidai usually works in absolute silence, but when he was in town for the official launch, and he was up to answering a few questions while he worked on a Stark sigil. He also guided us through his process, from stripping the pencil to the painstaking process of adding detail. For example, each scale on the Stark sigil can take one hour to complete.
His favourites at this exhibition are the Iron Throne and the Titan of Braavos.
Oh, and Fidai’s favoured hardness for the pencil? “HB … like HBO.”
Season 7 of Game Of Thrones premieres July 17 at 9am on HBO Asia. Yes, winter is coming in summer.
