Putting a ‘sparkle’ on what we take for granted
Social media’s content can be overwhelming. However, scrolling through Instagram’s endless posts of lifestyles, memories, and meals, one artist stands out - or rather ‘shines’- with her unique art. Sara Shakeel, one of the world’s original crystal artists, has been working with delicate, sparkling crystals, in both physical and digital forms, in her installations and Photoshop masterpieces respectively.
With over one million followers, her ethereal collages are a sensation for the eyes. Her food-related pieces are an exceptional ‘treat’, turning basic dishes, like a bowl of fruit, into majestic art.
Shakeel first began posting her art on Instagram in 2016 and recalls when she received 23 likes. She had thought then, “I made it!” Little did she know that this step would be the beginning of a new chapter in her life.
Her childhood memories were filled with laughter, she tells Ithraeyat in an exclusive interview. It was a time she spent in blissful solitude while she watched the American show Three’s Company with her cat. “I don’t need someone else to feel special,” she says. “I’m a happy-go-lucky person. I’m just a happy kid.”
Immersive Art Installation, London, 2022. Courtesy of the artist.
Shakeel, who is from Pakistan and studied dentistry, claims it was a happy ‘accident’ when she first created crystal collages. “My love of crystals goes way back,” she shares. “My grandmother used to collect Swarovski figurines and kept them in a custom-made cabinet. Later in life, everything came to me at the right time, and I naturally gravitated towards it.”
With crystals covering everything Shakeel touches, she deems it to be a life-long purpose to add a touch of positivity to the world. “It isn’t a phase for me. I love how crystals have a lot of reflections and refractions to them. I believe I will always keep crystals with me. I love how so many colors reflect from a single crystal.”
With her professional partnership with Swarovski, it is a story of successful chance encounters where an Instagram artist became a partner with the world-leading crystal company.
“I love how my life just happens,” she laughs light-heartedly. “One day, I posted a photo of my crystal art. I saw a comment that read, ‘Amazing work, Sara,’ and something about the username intrigued me. I googled the name, and Markus Lang-Swarovski came up. The director of Swarovski and the great-great-grandson of Swarovski. I couldn’t believe it!”
Shakeel messaged him on his profile and shared her gratitude for his support. Long story short, he commissioned her to do artwork and even invited her to tour the Swarovski factory in Austria. “It is truly an honor to be working with Swarovski and to have received their kindness, and to work with the crystals.”
Collage Art. Courtesy of Sara Shakeel.
Shakeel constantly manifests positive opportunities in her life. With her happy and humble attitude, she embodies that positivity through her artwork.
As ‘an ARTpreneur,’ a term stated on her Instagram bio, she manages to turn her reality into art rather than creating art to add to the world. “Whatever I put my eyes on, I see it in two different perspectives: one for what it is and the other as a crystalized-infused art piece.”
Where does her inspiration come from? For Shakeel, “Life itself is an inspiration.”
She humbly adds, “I think it is a God-given gift. Just the other day, I was driving, and I thought, My heart is made of art. I had to stop at the side of the road and save it on my notes. Even if I am driving or eating food, I get inspired. I like to see things that are so basic because I can build on it even more. People tend to take basic things for granted. I look into minimal and ordinary things to inspire me.”
Breakfast for Champions. Collage Artwork and Photography. Courtesy of Sara Shakeel.
For the Warm Ones with A Cold Heart. Courtesy of Sara Shakeel.
Fresh From the Start. Courtesy of Sara Shakeel.
When it comes to the necessity of food, just how basic can basic food be? With Shakeel’s sparkling food art, she reminds us how the glory of food is always in the staples that almost everyone has in their fridge or pantry.
“Food is beautiful,” Shakeel says. “And unfortunately, not everyone has the blessing to eat three times a day. If you look at my art, my food items are not high-class meals but essential items like eggs, tangerines, bananas, lemons… They are essential foods that everyone can afford and eat.”
She further explains the essentiality of the foods we take for granted and compares them to treasured items. “The more sparkling or shimmering an item is, the more expensive we perceive it to be. And sometimes, prized items don’t sparkle or shimmer, like our food.
I wanted to glamorize the food we tend to only pick at or throw away unfinished. I am trying to send a subliminal message: you should value what you are given. It’s when you value an item you keep it safe. We should be grateful for the food we eat.”
We perceive diamonds to be valuable and handle them with care, and therefore Shakeel aims to implement the same ideology to the food that we often take for granted.
With the help of her Swarovski crystals and self-taught Photoshop, Shakeel glues crystals on the peels of bananas and the shell of eggs and photoshops crystals on burgers and fries, water, and coffee. She says her food art is meant to make people feel happy and grateful for the nourishment food provides us.
“I do it for my own self-expression, for the messaging, and for the love of the art. I am, at the end of the day, an artist. If anything, my food art has made me love food more!”
Towards the Moving Sun. Courtesy of Sara Shakeel.
As cooking and plating food is an art, Shakeel recalls the time beetroot surprised her. In a one-of-a-kind dining experience at a Michelin-star restaurant in Germany, they served a vegetarian dish from their menu.
Reminiscing over the paper-thin slices of beetroot served with nuts and dressing, she admits she ate every little bit off the plate. “I never thought I would love beetroot so much! It was so fulfilling,” she says. “I thought, ‘Now, this is art.’ My eyes were filled, and my tummy was filled too.
It was the best balance.” When we keep an open mind and an open palette to different kinds of food, we may be surprised at the exquisite tastes that nourish us.
She further amplifies her creativity by gluing Swarovski crystals on her chocolate, dumping it in a bowl-like cereal with milk, and pouring it out of a Coca-Cola can.
She also dazzles sushi bites with crystals, making the edible look incredible. “I ate it after!” She reassures anyone who wondered if she wasted the food she dazzled.
“I took out the crystals, fried the egg, and ate the banana and tangerine too. The only few times I could not eat it, was when some of the glue residue stuck to the food, and I had to throw it away.
But I try my best to not waste food.” One of her first physical installations was ‘The Great Supper,’ a complete dinner set covered in Swarovski crystals.
The chairs, plates, utensils, and food sparkle and wow every visitor. She tells us how she was contacted and asked to create an installation.
“After I created my first crystal food art with the toast and crystal knife,” she says, “I wondered, what if someone actually commissions me to create an entire crystal table?” She admits to having laughed at that idea; however, perhaps helped by her positive energy or luck, that thought became a reality.
After three months, she was contacted by Now Gallery based in the UK. They asked her to create something for them, and her mind lit up as she said: “I want to sparkle a dinner table.”
The Great Supper. Courtesy of Sara Shakeel and NOW Gallery.
She tells us how she was contacted and asked to create an installation. “After I created my first crystal food art with the toast and crystal knife,” she says, “I wondered, what if someone actually commissions me to create an entire crystal table?” She admits to having laughed at that idea; however, perhaps helped by her positive energy or luck, that thought became a reality. After three months, she was contacted by Now Gallery based in the UK. They asked her to create something for them, and her mind lit up as she said: “I want to sparkle a dinner table.”
Shakeel’s ‘The Great Supper’ sends a wholesome message about dinner time. She explains: “The Great Supper is a tribute to family dinner time. For me, the dinner table represents the meeting point for family and friends. It is a time to discuss the day and share laughs. Since I created that piece, society has been so busy with work that they miss out on this special time.” Shakeel encourages us to eat together in peace and joy and enjoy our company and food.
“Eating together is a source of bonding.”
Out of her many collaborations with globally recognized brands, Shakeel recalls her Evian water collaboration. She has been aware of the flavor of water and has favored the Evian brand. “Out of love for Evian, I took a picture of Evian's water bottles and sparkled them. I captioned it, ‘This is how I see sparkling water.’” Evian liked her photo, and a few years later, they reached out to Shakeel to collaborate with their first-ever launch of Evian sparkling water.
Shakeel’s extensive portfolio and artwork genuinely shine from the happiness she pours into her creations. With such success, she shares her current work in progress. “I am working with a chef to create edible, transparent crystals. It’s still a work-in-progress, but I want people to have a 360 experience with my work.”
The Great Supper. Courtesy of Sara Shakeel and NOW Gallery.
The Great Supper. Courtesy of Sara Shakeel and NOW Gallery.
Perhaps someday, we will eat a plate full of Sara Shakeel’s crystals. Just as food is our fuel, art is an excellent source of creative nutrition. Shakeel shares the importance of using the top three ingredients in life and art: a dash of positivity, a tablespoon of humbleness, and a cup of gratitude. To dive further into Sara Shakeel’s sparkling world, you can view her art on her Instagram @sarashakeel.
