While most machine fans are eager to understand how home equipment are made and their performance, 33-year-old Deval Rajendra Verma is fascinated by discarded industrial scrap. The Indore-based product designer and metal artist has upcycled over 20 tonnes of scrap metal into art work for the likes of One Plus India, Reliance Industries, DHL, the Indian Army, Harley Davidson (Indore, Lucknow and Jaipur), and BMW Motorrad Lutyens Delhi, amongst others. “One of my artworks, Bharat, is a nine foot scrap metal map of India and is installed in the Constitution Museum of India. Mayur, a seven foot peacock sculpture adorns the residence of the Prime Minister of India,” says Deval, who turned full-time artist in 2017.
The Pawanputra Hanuman is an eight-foot-tall piece comprised of over 350 kg of scrap metal
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As a baby, Deval says he “was obsessed with the TV show MAD on Pogo, It showed how everyday objects could be transformed into something new. Inspired by it, I started making my own toys from random material”. While he initially needed to be an car designer, his fascination with metal drew him to pursue Mechanical Engineering and Product Design, which deepened his love for machines. “But it was discarded industrial scrap that truly captivated me. I saw beauty and potential in old gears, chains, and machine parts.”
Mayur, a seven foot peacock sculpture adorns the residence of the Prime Minister of India
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Till date, Deval has sculpted over 250 items, his most up-to-date and difficult one being the Pawanputra Hanuman — an eight-foot-tall piece comprised of over 350 kilograms of scrap metal, together with chrome steel, brass, and automotive elements — for a restaurant in Godhra, Gujarat. “Capturing the right anatomy, stance, and expressions in metal was incredibly difficult. Since Hanuman is a revered figure, every detail had to convey strength, devotion, and divinity with precision,” he says, including that crafting the face — getting the expressions proper to replicate energy, emotion, and spirituality — took a number of iterations.
Other distinguished initiatives embrace Taurus, a sculpture of a bull made for a inventory buying and selling firm in Mumbai’s Dalal road; Nirvana, a Buddha sculpture made out of discarded nuts for a residence in Singapore; A World Alike, a world map manufactured from transmission chains for a house in Italy.
The ‘Modern Age Vishwakarma’
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Deval explains how his sculptures are primarily comprised of chrome steel, delicate metal, and brass, together with discarded industrial elements like gears, chains, bearings, springs, spoons, and automotive elements. “My materials come from local garages, scrap yards, factories, and sometimes directly from industries that want to repurpose their waste into something artistic. At times, the brands that collaborate with us also send their junk to upcycle.” A course of Deval completely enjoys. “The best part about working with scrap starts right from the procurement stage — it’s literally a treasure hunt. Finding unique material, imagining their potential, and then fitting them into place to create a form is incredibly exciting.”
Gajraj, a sculpture by Deval
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The course of consists of conceptualising with 3D fashions, metal choice, fabrication, making use of protecting coatings, and set up. “While smaller sculptures take four-six weeks to make, large-scale installations can take several months or even a year,” explains the artist, who additionally dabbles in portray and singing. As for his or her after-care, Deval says most sculptures require minimal upkeep if constructed correctly. For outside sculptures, protecting coatings stop rust and climate injury, and periodic cleansing, and annual inspections guarantee structural integrity. For indoor sculptures, easy dusting and occasional sharpening is sufficient, he says.
The artist at work
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Transporting sculptures is a essential section since these items are sometimes heavy and delicate, provides Deval. “If the sculpture is made in parts, they are transported and assembled on site. In the case of a singular sculpture, it is directly installed on site with the help of fabricators. The process includes reinforcing weak points with temporary welding, disassembling larger sculptures into smaller, manageable sections, packing, and then using specialised transport like hydraulic trucks and cranes for extremely heavy pieces.”
So, what’s Deval busy with for the time being? “I’m working on a Hanuman sculpture, a bull for a club in Dubai, a rearing horse, and several animal sculptures,” he says, including “More than five tonnes of material will be upcycled in the coming months.”
Small sculptures begin at ₹50,000, whereas bigger installations can go as much as a number of lakhs. For particulars, go to devalverma.com
Published – March 04, 2025 11:53 am IST
