Salavat Fidai Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Salavat Fidai

Nationality	Russian
Known for	Graphite sculptures

Salavat Fidai is a Russian sculptor who creates incredible miniature sculptures. He carves these tiny artworks from the lead (graphite) inside pencils! He currently lives in Ufa, Russia.

Becoming an Artist
- Tiny Art Begins
How He Creates Tiny Sculptures
- What He Sculpts
Exhibitions Around the World
Sampling of Works
See also

Becoming an Artist

Salavat Fidai started his career as a lawyer and worked in that job for over 25 years. In 2013, during a tough economic time in Russia, he decided to follow his passion and become a full-time artist.

He first explored art through digital photography, taking pictures of fruits and vegetables. This collection was called "The Quiet Life of Things." Later, he experimented with painting, creating a series called "The Rainy City."

Tiny Art Begins

In 2014, Salavat Fidai began making very small paintings on unusual surfaces. He painted on matchboxes, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, and even grains of rice!

Later that same year, he started sculpting miniature figures from pencil graphite. This type of art is very difficult because graphite is fragile. It's common for his tiny sculptures to break, even after he has spent many hours working on them.

How He Creates Tiny Sculptures

Salavat Fidai spends a lot of time on each sculpture. A typical small statue takes him between six and twelve hours to complete. More complex designs can take two or three days!

He uses special tools for his detailed work. He carves with a craft knife and uses a stereo microscope to see the tiny details. At first, he used large pencils with thick graphite. Now, he mostly uses very thin pencil leads, some as small as 0.5 millimeters (which is thinner than a credit card!).

What He Sculpts

Salavat Fidai's miniature sculptures feature many different subjects. He has carved characters from popular movies and cartoons, various animals, and everyday objects. He also creates figures from comic books, famous artworks, household items, and well-known buildings.

His amazing microsculptures have been shown in cities around the world, including London, Singapore, Los Angeles, and Saint Petersburg. When people visit his exhibitions, they are often given magnifying glasses to help them see the tiny details of his art. Many news outlets have praised his work, noting his impressive skill and his large fan base on social media.

Exhibitions Around the World

Salavat Fidai's incredible miniature sculptures have been displayed in many places. Here are some of his notable exhibitions:

Personal exhibition of microsculptures at LAUNCH! Gallery in Culver City, California, USA, in June 2016.
A special mini-exhibition for Virgin Trains at King's Cross, London, UK, in September 2016.
Personal exhibition of microsculptures for the Sharjah International Book Fair in the UAE, in November 2016.
"Game of Thrones: A Pencil Microsculpture Exhibition" in partnership with HBO Asia, held at K+ Curatorial Space in Singapore, in May 2017.