An Indian artist has set a new record by creating a handmade wax statue of Dubai’s Crown Prince Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum out of 120kg of wax — a feat for which he has been recognised by the World Records of India.
Zakir Hussain Khan, who used a single knife to carve the statue, is now in Dubai with just one dream - to meet the Crown Prince and present the statue to him.
“I am a huge fan of Sheikh Hamdan and his work,” said Khan, who is in Dubai on his third visit with his family and friend Arif.
The sculptor added: “Sheikh Hamdan is an inspiration for youngsters around the world. He is a prince, yet he walks and cycles around the city like everyone else. He is so humble, so down to earth and such a visionary. He loves kids and animals. I think Dubai is so lucky to have him as Crown Prince.”
Hailing from the Indian city of Bangalore, Khan said he set out to make the statue in order to realise the dream of his eight-year-old son Ayan who has shared his father's regard for Sheikh Hamdan for over two years.
“I always used to watch the Crown Prince’s videos on YouTube a lot. Seeing my interest, my son also started to watch them and soon he, too, became a huge fan of Sheikh Hamdan,” Khan explained.
That is when little Ayan expressed his dream to meet the Dubai Crown Prince. “When he said that he wanted to meet Sheikh Hamdan, I decided that I must make a gift to present to him, should such a meeting come true.”
After arriving in Dubai in December 2021, Khan and his childhood friend Arif worked tirelessly for 38 days to complete the wax statue that is 5’8” in height - just as tall as the Crown Prince himself. He admitted that it was hard work. “In most places that make wax statues, including Madame Tussaud's, they use moulds. But I hand carved every detail of the statue,” Khan revealed.
This is far from the first time that Khan has set a record. The artist has 14 previous records to his name, including one for the longest chopper bike. The 13-foot-long vehicle weighed 450kg and cost approximately Dh40,000 to make.
“Since the age of 14, I have been interested in art. I started with carving and painting, and when I grew a little older, I started tinkering with cars and bikes, making modifications on them,” said Khan.
He also dabbles in pencil sketching, coin painting, chalk piece carving and miniature art and has created several other gifts for Sheikh Hamdan in the hope of meeting him some day.
