‘I could focus more on work’

HYDERABAD:  The Covid-19 lockdown did not have any negative impact on my work as I am lucky to have my own workshop at home. So I continued to build things. However, it has taught me to conserve the raw materials I have as the shutdown has made it difficult to buy them from the market. I almost always use scrap material for my sculptures, but right now, I have to careful about how I use all the material.  

One positive outcome of the quarantine is that I interact more with my followers on Instagram now. I go live on the platform regularly and viewers can watch me as I mould iron into different pieces of art. Lately, as people have been staying at home, many started attending the live sessions. They follow the projects as I make them. They ask me many questions on the raw materials I use, welding techniques etc., and I enjoy the interactions too.

Since I knew that I do not have anything else to do, I think I have made better sculptures in the lockdown. I have been able to focus more on my work. I have been building a motorcycle for the last two years, and during the lockdown, I made more progress on it than I had in the previous years. The only time when I did not work at my usual pace was during Ramzan. It was very hot, and that is why I used to start working from evening. 

– Syed Mohammed  Saaduddin a.k.a Ironic (As told to Kakoli Mukherjee)