“Constantly creating”

Twenty-two new works by Arzan Khambatta were on show at the Museum Art Gallery in Bombay from February 14 to 20, 2011. Micropolis, as the exhibition was titled, was a notable departure from the sculptor’s signature style of creating "scraptures” from metal scrap. Describing his inspiration, Khambatta told HT (Hindustan Times) Café of February 16: "When I log on to Google maps and look at the cityscape from a height, the roads and buildings appear to be part of a cellular structure that you would see under a microscope. They seem so complex, but are actually created using the simplest formulae.”

"It’s not as much about the architecture as it is about the people of this city,” Khambatta explained to the newspaper, referring to Bombay. The reviewer is in agreement: "Sure enough, he has done justice by creating figures that are lithe, active and dynamic, and positioned outside the steel structures to avoid giving precedence to their environment.”

Arzan Khambatta (left); his laser cut sculptures (above) mark a new genre

Admitting that this has been his most difficult work and took much time to complete, Khambatta explains that the use of stainless steel and multiple high skill techniques necessitated that "for the first time I’ve had to step outside my studio to get some of the processes done. I couldn’t do the chromium plating and laser cutting myself. That is the work of professionals.”

Ruminating on the genesis of this new genre, Khambatta told Mid Day of February 15, 2011: "I am constantly creating, and the process never stops. I’d been wanting to work on laser cut pieces for a long time, but the challenge was to convert the technicalities to aesthetics... I wanted to achieve a level of technicality that surpassed everything I had ever done. Micropolis is an antithesis of my past works... Working with laser has been a natural progression. When I started my career, scraps were all I could afford... then I graduated to metals like steel and copper and tossed in a little wood, to give my work a lyrical touch. There is no denying I have spent a bomb on this show, but I have thoroughly enjoyed working on it. I’m not scared to experiment.”