In a busy workshop on the outskirts of Islamabad, artist Ehtisham Jadoon turns discarded metal into towering sculptures that captivate onlookers and challenge perceptions of waste. Sparks fly and steel groans under his skilled hands as he welds car parts into massive figures inspired by “Transformers” movies, ancient beasts and powerful forms. Every day, Jadoon and his small team breathe life into chunks of metal that others consider junk.
Jadoon, 35, works among a maze of engine parts, cogs, chains and hubcaps. He recently completed his largest piece yet, a 14‑foot‑tall representation of the character Optimus Prime, assembled almost entirely from recycled vehicle components. Motorbike springs, car rims and chains become shoulders, arms and knees, while vehicle bearings form piercing mechanical eyes.
When he surveys a heap of scrap, he says he sees potential rather than trash. “I imagine the form I want to build before I touch the metal,” Jadoon said, his voice steady over the hum of welding torches. “Then I figure out how to solve the puzzle and make it real.”
While he never studied art formally, his background in martial arts and steel fabrication gives him the strength and skill to undertake such demanding work. Despite frequent trips to a doctor for burns and eye irritation from welding sparks, he remains dedicated because this art fulfils him.
Imagination Meets Metal
Each week, Jadoon scours scrapyards in and around Islamabad, searching for pieces that fit his evolving ideas. Along the way, scrapyard owner Bostan Khan watches the transformation of forgotten materials into extraordinary forms. “What is waste to us becomes something valuable in his hands,” Khan said. Jadoon’s creations, from a twisted‑steel mane lion to a towering Tyrannosaurus rex, now draw visitors who marvel at the fusion of imagination and metal.
