Niall Shukla, a remarkably expert and self-taught artist, creates stunningly intricate portraits on laminated glass by meticulously cracking it with managed hammer strikes.
This distinctive artwork type is paradoxical and charming; Shukla wields numerous steel hammers and chisels to chip away at glass panels, producing cracks that finally rework into superbly detailed photographs. His approach calls for immense endurance and precision, as every strike have to be rigorously calculated in each stress and placement; a single misstep can shatter the glass past restore, forcing him to start anew.
Extra: Niall Shukla, Instagram h/t: odditycentral
Shukla shared with *Museum Weekly Journal* that the method is fraught with trial and error, explaining that any miscalculated strike requires him to start out from scratch with contemporary glass, typically going by means of a number of sheets earlier than attaining the specified final result.
Though his background lies in writing and movie directing, Shukla started creating bodily artwork as a private escape, and sooner or later, on a whim, he posted considered one of his cracked glass items on social media—an act that unexpectedly garnered over 4 million views inside days.
Regardless of the random nature of cracked glass patterns, Shukla rigorously plans his strategy to every piece, adapting his imaginative and prescient to the unpredictable qualities of the medium and experimenting tirelessly to seize the monochromatic shades and varieties he envisions.