While it is true that beauty is in the eye of the beholder, it’s equally true that beauty without wit is just vanity. Fortunately, sculptor Arzan Khambatta always provides both in his pieces, a fact that was clear in each of the 50 sculptures displayed during his recent exhibition held to commemorate his 50th birthday.
Khambatta, a Mumbai-based sculptor, first made a name for himself by making pieces from scrap metal, which he christened ‘scraptures’. “Wire mesh, automobile parts, corroded metal… telling stories through them was so easy,” he says. He went on to gain fame for his public installations. Today, he uses a traditional welding machine to texturise a variety of raw materials, including old wooden rafters and vintage furniture.
His genius is attributed to intriguing visuals that depict simple, everyday situations, that are infused with a storyline as well as a strong dose of his ‘punny’ humour. He states, “I like making people happy. To make someone smile through my work gives me a lot of satisfaction.”
His piece titled ‘Tired’ for instance, features a display of automobile tyres lying about, exhausted from the friction of life’s challenges. “Sometimes one feels a bit like that, but I don’t mean to complain, which is why it’s better said in a playful way,” he explains wryly.
The collection of 50 sculptures that he worked on over the past five years celebrate the central themes always prevalent in Khambatta’s work. Made using diverse media including iron, copper, aluminium, steel, brass and wood, they are a tongue-in-cheek take on modern man and how technology has taken over our lives. Pieces include ‘Fan Following’ and ‘Techno Notice of the World Around You’ which features a metal sculpture of a man engrossed in his laptop.
Simultaneously fun and intriguing, Khambatta’s work is provocative and inquisitive. So, if you missed the ‘Freeze Frame’ exhibition, you’ll be pleased to know that you won’t have to wait another five years for the next one. Khambatta plans to showcase his pen and ink drawings in 2017.
To learn more about the sculptor and his sculptures, visit his site or follow him on Facebook .
Featured images source: Arzan Khambatta
Written by Priya Unni
