The kind of art Ishaq bin Mohammed bin Ali al Rubkhi does require a lot of silent contemplation. He can stare at a piece of stone, marble or metal for a while plotting how he can manipulate the material to become how he imagines it in his head. Inside his head is a chaos of different ideas and the more that he sits in silence, planning, the idea takes shape. Once he has a definite picture and plan of attack, he goes to work — cutting pieces, putting them together, bending this side or that side to attain the beauty that he wanted.
Ishaq is a fourth-year student at the Sultan Qaboos University specialising in Art Education. And while he loves the different sides of his chosen industry, he loves sculpture the most because as a creator, he is able to deal with three-dimensional stereoscopic shape. He loves it when he is able to multiply the expression, test the flexibility of the materials and exhaust his creativity. He loves all the challenges that come along with the process.
“Once I lockdown on an idea, I check the stability of the material. I test its possible movements, what pressure I can put it under. I look at it in different conditions like curves and shapes. I have gotten to the point that I got in-depth experience in handling inanimate objects and transforming the blocks in my hands into objects that highlight their beauty,” Ishaq shared.
Ishaq started sculpting at 19, the necessary skills of which he learned from following Omani sculptors on social media. Whatever he sees online, he emulates and then started creating his very own process, eliminating those that don’t work for him.
“You learn a lot from watching and doing. By following the techniques of the masters, I was able to focus into the types, shapes, characteristics and methods of sculpture that I wanted to do,” he said.
Sculpting is an art that requires a lot of skills and patience, especially in dealing with different materials. Each artist also has their personal views and characters, and this helps them create their own brand of art and style.
For Ishaq, he started sculpting on white clay and red clay, then on gypsum, then on marble, and iron ore.
He shared that as a sculptor, he has to look at the materials as his friends in order to understand their strength and rigidity and therefore, be able to deal with them easily.
One of Ishaq’s favourite works is “The Locust.”
“It is the only artwork made from iron ore. I collected iron from various sources such as from car engines and some metal pieces from the house. It was a distinctive experience to be able to collect these seemingly useless materials and produce a totally different structure which is a locust,” he said.
As of today, Ishaq has been refining his skills in carving faces on different surfaces.
“It is a skill that I hope I would reach a higher level of professionalism and expertise very soon,” he said.
He has created several pieces using marble.
“The philosophy behind the carved marble tied with a rope which restricts its movement tackles the general condition of freedom and flexibility. These art pieces are made to resemble a person in shackle which is in context, a reflection of who we are in the society especially when all our actions are controlled and restricted in the community. When one looks at the piece, it reminds them how one cannot freely provide his opinion or cannot act as he wants because of societal restrictions,” he said.
Ishaq’s ideas were mostly inspired by other sculptors from all over the world.
“My role model in this field is the 66-year-old Brazilian artist and sculptor Renato Brunello. I liked his passion, and despite his age, he continues to work and produce amazing pieces of sculpture,” he said.
Ishaq has to face many challenges as he pursues his love for sculptures.
“They usually originate from finding the right resource,” he said.
Obtaining sculpting tools and equipment and putting his hands on marble or other materials he’d like to use is hard especially being in a region where they are not readily available or if available, usually cost a lot. Yet his passion fuels him to continue.
In the coming months, “I plan to showcase a collection of my work in public places to beautify the facilities and spread the culture of sculpture” he shared.
He also plans of doing sculpture workshops to entice other young people to get into sculpting and produce their own pieces of art.
He also urges young people like him to not wait for the right opportunity but rather create one as only having your own initiative will allow you to refine your skills.
BY RUQAYA AL KINDI
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