By Salisu Ibrahim
Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, has presented “string art” as a special souvenir to a distinguished economist, Dr Ngozi Okonja-Iweala, for her outstanding contributions to Global development.
The artwork was presented to her by His Highness, Malam Ahmed Nuhu Bamalli, CFR, the Emir of Zazzau, shortly after the pre-convocation lecture she delivered.
A visibly impressed Okonja-Iweala, who is also the Director-General of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) said although, she had earlier stopped collecting portraits but had to accept this particular string, because it is “special and extraordinary”.
She received the souvenir in the presence of the University’s Chancellor, His Majesty, Igwe Alfred Nnaemeka Ugochukwu Achebe, CFR; and the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman, ABU Governing Council, Malam Mahmud Yayale Ahmed, CFR.
String art is an art form that uses thread stretched across evenly spaced nails to create geometric patterns and eventually detailed images and the maker, amazingly, a 400 Level student, Abdulmalik was from the Department of Computer Science, and not from Fine Art, as many would have thought.
Ibrahim made the pin and thread art for the global icon in appreciation of her contributions to Global Improvement.
In the artwork, which is also called ‘pin and thread art’, the image of Okonjo-Iweala emerged purely from straight-line geometry and Okonjo-Iweala was highly excited for the gift which she excitedly described as “special and extraordinary”.
A statement from the Public Affairs Directorate, Office of the Vice-Chancellor, and signed by its Director, Malam Auwalu Umar, said Okonja-Iweala, was at ABU to present a pre-convocation lecture.
The string art was created using 230 evenly spaced nails, about 2.3 kilometers of thread, and over 25 hours of stringing.
At first, the Vice-Chancellor, Prof Adamu Ahmed, who watched the work at close range, didn’t seem to appreciate it but when he watched it from a far, he saw the full image of Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, which made him to appreciate the work.
Abdulmalik Ibrahim’s talent in creative art came into open when he participated in the ABU research fair organised recently as part of the activities marking the institution’s 45th convocation.
In carrying out the artwork, the student said, he first mapped 230 nails evenly around a circular board to ensure symmetry. Then, he used the algorithm-generated sequence from his web app, and traced the thread step by step across those nails.
Each connection is a straight line; but when hundreds of those straight lines over, they form an optical illusion that gradually turns into detailed portrait. And after over 25 hours of continuous stringing, the final image of Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala emerged purely from straight-line geometry.
On his motive behind the work, the maker of the work told the Vice-Chancellor that he wanted it to be presented to the Global Icon as a gift in acknowledgement of her commitment to excellence, integrity, and service to humanity.
On why as a computer science student making art, Abdulmalik Ibrahim said he had been drawn to art since childhood as he had always loved visual expression. “Instead of complaining about not studying a ‘creative’ course, I decided to merge both worlds. During my SIWES period, I stumbled on the works of Petros Vrellis. I studied his process deeply”, he said.
He said he built his own web app that generates string sequences, using open-source algorithm as a base. Ibrahim also said the web app became the tool he used to physically create his artworks.
“For me, programming became the brush, and algorithm became the design process”, he stressed.
Ibrahim further stated that he started making art from home for fun and uploaded it on social media, saying that in a short time the work began gaining traction, citing how he was recognised by King Ateke and Wizard Chan all in Port Harcourt in Rivers State because of his artworks.
Abdulmalik Ibrahim said his work equally received visibility within the Polkadot ecosystem, saying that one of his string pieces of Davido generated over one million impressions across social platforms. This is in addition to gaining recognition from Jesse Pollak, the Chief Executive Officer of Base, he added.