Kyrgyz artist Azmet Dzhanaliev has spent a large part of his life travelling around the world, in a bid to promote friendship, peace and love with his artworks.

Dzhanaliev’s unique portraits, designed with threads and nails, have been widely received for its creative artistry.

He says: ‘Nails represent us - you, me, and all the people we meet around the world. Meanwhile, threads form the relationships and connections between us.’

Dzhanaliev is one of only a handful of artists who practice this art form, which requires precision and patience considering each portrait takes a week to complete.

The artists says he discovered his talent by chance.

In Kyrgyzstan, it is common to see homes decorated with nail and thread art forming simple floral patterns that adorn walls. When Dzhanaliev was decorating his own wall, he ended up making a human face. Delighted by this, he continued to perfect his work until he decided to make a career of this.

Over the years, he has toured many countries in the world, including Chechnya, Russia and Azerbaijan, where he has presented his artworks to a number of well-known presidents and dignitaries.

This is his second visit to the UAE. Quiz him about his return and he says: ‘I chose the UAE because it opens doors to creative ideas and projects.’