In a hot, crowded workshop filled with welding smoke and the smell of metal, Omani sculptor Jameel bin Dadin al Balushi transforms discarded materials into art. Bicycle chains become tank tracks, cracked drill casings form helicopter bodies and worn gears are reshaped into traditional Omani coffee pots.
Al Balushi’s journey began in 2017, when he joined what he believed was a competition. It was, in fact, an open community event.
While preparing his entry, he noticed a pile of old metal chains that reminded him of tank tracks. He gathered the chains and welded them into the shape of a tank, then challenged himself to make the sculpture move.
“That was the turning point”, he says.
The experience, rather than a prize, made him realise that he had a talent for metal sculpture. Since then, he has learned to recognise the artistic potential of ordinary objects. Interlocking gears inspired the shape of a traditional dallah, while the casing of a broken electric drill suggested the body of a helicopter.
Al Balushi’s approach has been shaped by years of working with metal and welding equipment. He believes this background explains why he chose metal rather than paint or clay.
“Metal combines strength and precision”, he explains. “It gives me enormous freedom to invent and to turn hardness into beauty”.
Finding the right pieces of scrap is often the most difficult and time-consuming part of his work. Locating a piece that matches an idea can take longer than welding and assembling the sculpture itself.
Even after he finds the right materials, building a sculpture involves trial and error. A joint may fail, the balance may shift or a mechanical part may not move as expected. However, Al Balushi considers these challenges part of the creative process.
“In metal, you can always cut again, weld again, adjust again”, he says.
Mistakes can sometimes lead to a better design and improve the final sculpture.
Omani identity is also central to Al Balushi’s work. Forts, falcons and the dallah appear repeatedly in his sculptures, with recycled mechanical parts transformed into symbols of the country’s heritage, history and landscape. He values these subjects because they represent strength, authenticity and identity.
One example is Saqr Al Tawazun, or “Falcon of Balance”, a mechanical sculpture exploring stability and leadership in Oman. The work associates silver with peace, gold with stability and steel with protection.
Looking ahead, Al Balushi hopes to create a large mechanical sculpture for a public square in Oman. He envisions it as both a national landmark and a tourist attraction that presents the country’s identity through metal and movement.
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