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Freeze Frame, is "about capturing a moment at the right time and holding it there, static for everyone to observe, contemplate, react,” states 50-year-old sculptor and scrapture creator Arzan Khambatta (pictured) who will be displaying 50 of his creations at his 12th solo show at the Jehangir Art Gallery, between October 11 and 16, 2016. The genial artist is most known for his larger than life installations in various public spaces and private collections, made mostly from metal scrap, like his recent recreation of a model of the INS Vikrant from material salvaged from the iconic warship by Cmde Medioma Bhada (Retd) (see "Bringing a legend alive,” Parsiana, February 21, 2016). Inspiration for his works strike any moment, even when sleeping, "so I have to get up and write it all out,” he says. "Many a times it happens in reverse order … I think of a snappy title and work out ideas for my installations to fit into that,” he says.
The artist’s studio in an industrial building in Sewri is busy on August 24, 2016 when he meets Parsiana. Larger, heavier pieces being readied for the show are stored at the rear of the premises and even mounted on walls. Works in process are being finished, polished or painted in the middle of the work place. The master’s den at the front of the space houses the finished works. Pointing to what looks like a large blue book just outside his office, titled Facebook, the effervescent Khambatta explains that he fashioned the head and face in wood first, and then spliced it, to depict the open pages of a book. In another nod to how technology has taken over everyday matters, he points out to Techno notice of the world, a figure deeply engrossed with his electronic devices. A horizontal piece titled Bookworm depicts an aesthetically disheveled row of books, while Pick on someone your own size has a large pick axe looking down at a smaller one! 
"I do work on fusions of wood and metal too,” he says. Salvadoor, an installation-in-progress will be a whimsical wooden louvered door "with a pair of eyes and a moustache.”  Twirling his luxuriant moustache ("my tribute to Salvador Dali”), he talks of his admiration for that flamboyant Spanish surrealist painter. His take on Michelangelo’s Creation of Adam is called Michael & J Lo, and shows two of his music idols — Michael Jackson and Jennifer Lopez, fingers touching across space.
"Both the creative aspects of a show as well as the technology (in his case, welding and soldering) have their own challenges, but I definitely use both left and right sides of my brain,” smiles the artist. Over the years he has mastered the technology part of his work and has helpers to assist with the heavy manual work. "When I started my career and was working in my studio in Dadar and would come home all disheveled and dirty after a day’s work, the neighbours would say "Mumma, Pappa kai bolta nathi ké? (Aren’t your parents saying anything)?” he recalls.   

 

 

 
Since the last three months, the artist has not done much else besides working on the proposed exhibits, planning for which started four years ago. All commissioned pieces have taken a backseat, he says. "An opening (of a show) is like a navjote or a lagan,” he asserts, letting on that wife Khushnuma "takes care of all the peripheral stuff,” referring to the administrative tasks. "I prefer to spend time listening to the critics and potential buyers,” he smiles, confirming that he would be at the gallery on every day of the show.
How many sculptures, large and small would he have executed in his three-decade career? "My father (Rusi, a retired architect) asks me that too, but I really don’t know,” he says, throwing up his hands; but admits tentatively to 1,500. Son Pezanne, 21, who is studying product design at Rhode Island School of Design is "more of a ‘left brain,’ smiles the father. "Yet it is he who goads me in new directions,” he says. Tianna, his daughter is an undergraduate at Pitzer, a liberal arts college in California. He is going to miss their presence at the show.   
Already planning ahead, Khambatta reveals that he will be unveiling his pen and ink drawings in late 2017, showing us leaves from his sketch book and some framed pictures.
Gallery goers could look out for Making a name for yourself, where the artist has created his moniker in wood.