Sharjah: She can hold four dishes in the palm of her hand without worrying about dropping them. That’s because these are only mini replicas of the actual dishes.
Meet Samira Amin, a Pakistani artist based in Sharjah, who has created over 100 miniatures of everyday objects ranging from food and perfumes to newspapers, using household items in the last two years. While food-related items comprise a big part of her creations, she has also made replicas of Bath and Body shower gels, Victoria’s Secret perfumes and designer bags.
She is currently working on launching a website to promote her art in the UAE.
“Indian food is my favourite cuisine and I have created miniatures of the pav bhaji at Jodhpur restaurant, the veg grill platter at Zaffran and the chaat (Indian street food) at Peppermill, to name a few,” she says.
Tiny obsession
“I have been obsessed with miniatures from childhood and have been collecting them ever since. But it was two years ago that I decided to create them myself. I took lessons from YouTube videos, read about miniature art and began by experimenting with random items in the house – boards, needles and cotton. I am happy with the outcome.
“I will soon be conducting a series of workshops at the Sharjah Ladies Club where I will do live demonstration of my craft,” says Amin. “There is a huge appetite for miniature art in the west. My aim is to introduce this unique art to the UAE.”
Amin recently collaborated with Terra Chips, an American ‘healthy’ snack company that recently opened in Dubai, to create magnet replicas of their packets.
“I created 60 tiny chips packets and they were used by the brand to market itself in the UAE.”
