Pakistani sculptor turns scrap into colossal metal artworks

ISLAMABAD:  Sparks fly and metal groans in a cavernous workshop on the outskirts of Islamabad, where Pakistani artist Ehtisham Jadoon fuses discarded car parts into colossal pieces inspired by “Transformers” movies and dinosaurs.

The 35-year-old sculptor’s studio brims with cogs, chains, hubcaps and engine parts as his hulking creations – a lion with a mane of twisted steel, a giant Tyrannosaurus rex and a towering Optimus Prime – take shape.

“I have always been fascinated by metal objects,” Jadoon told AFP after assembling the 14-foot (4-metre) “Transformers” character, his biggest creation yet.

“When I see metals in scrap, I imagine forms in which it could be utilised.”

It took Jadoon and his team months of welding and warping to fashion his Optimus Prime, with over 90 percent of its parts sourced from discarded vehicle pieces.

The arms are forged from motorbike springs and gears, its shoulders are curve from car rims, the spine is moulded from a fuel tank and its knees are pieced together with chains and suspension parts.

Even its piercing eyes are crafted from vehicle bearings, completing a sculpture that is both intricate and awesome.

“Whenever I see an object, I visualise a form,” Jadoon said.

“I could imagine a block transforming into a shape, so I simply solve the puzzle and bring it to life.”

‘Waste becomes valuable’

Jadoon, a former martial artist who once worked in the steel fabrication business, has never formally studied art. He designs his gargantuan models spontaneously while working.

He told AFP he has to visit a doctor almost every week due to sparks affecting his eyes and burns on his hands and arms, yet he insists this is the only work in which he can channel the energy of his training as a fighter.

Jadoon’s work primarily focuses on crafting giants, beasts and powerful forms, which he describes as a reflection of aggression.

“Setting the anatomy and proportions requires visualisation from multiple angles and repeated adjustments,” he said.

Every week, Jadoon tours scrapyards in Islamabad, sifting through tons of discarded metal in search of pieces that fit into his imagination and then become sculptures.

“What is waste to us became something valuable in his hands,” scrapyard owner Bostan Khan told AFP.

“It’s incredible to witness.”