Sherif Abdulrafiu: The Nigerian Artist Bringing Portraits to Life Through Cracked Glass

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Nigerian artist Sherif Abdulrafiu is causing a stir in art with his incredible method of creating beautiful, realistic portraits out of cracked glass. 

At thirty, he is proving that tradition and innovation can coexist to produce something genuinely revolutionary. 

Sherif employs a method he calls “knacking”—purposefully breaking glass to create intricate images—instead of viewing glass as brittle and breakable. Because of the uniqueness of his work, he is a pioneer in the Nigerian art scene.

 

Background and Artistic Journey

In 2023, Sherif Abdulrafiu started experimenting with fractured glass art. An internet video demonstrating a related approach inspired him and ignited his desire to investigate this unusual medium. 

Working with glass requires a delicate balance between control and unpredictability, which Abdulrafiu, a self-taught artist, committed himself to achieving. He created a unique style that combines spontaneity and precision with constant experimentation and improvement. He has made over 80 masterpieces for several clients within and outside Nigeria.

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The “Knacking” Technique

Abdulrafiu’s art is essential to the knacking technique, which involves carefully hitting glass surfaces to create controlled fractures. He uses his bare hands and a drill bit to make various cracks to form intricate portraits. 

This technique demands artistic vision and a profound understanding of the material’s properties to prevent unintended shattering. His skill is demonstrated by the final pieces, which uniquely capture the interaction between creation and destruction and feature images that emerge from a network of cracks.

He described his work during an interview with Reuters:

“This one, it is knacking (cracking) not drawing. You know, something you draw is different with knacking. Knacking is, you have to get the accurate place you are knacking, you understand if you don’t get an accurate place, the art can look different from what you even wanted to do.”

When asked about his favourite pieces, he said, “The ones I enjoy doing most are portrait pictures. They show just the face with a smile and show the teeth of the person. That brings out the beauty of the art.”

Abdulrafiu revealed that he uses 8mm glass for his work to prevent breakage during delivery. Depending on the subject’s complexity, a piece can take 6 hours to several days to create.

Abdulrafiu’s work is more than beautiful; it is a commentary on resiliency and change. He subverts traditional notions of waste and fragility by transforming broken glass, a material frequently thrown away, into captivating art.

 

Recognition and Future Endeavours

Abdulrafiu has attracted attention inside and outside the art community since he first displayed his portraits made of broken glass. Numerous media outlets, such as Voice of America and Reuters, have talked about his contributions to contemporary art through his inventive approach. 

In the future, Abdulrafiu hopes to broaden his creative horizons by investigating bigger works and team-ups that push the limits of glass art even more.