Upcycled planters and metal macaques

How Coimbatore artist Jagan Mathew gives discarded fuel tanks and scrap wood new life

Dragan fly

As I step into photographer Jagan Mathew’s office, an antique iron-box filled with his visiting cards catches my eye. Also on the low table are painted glass bottles with pennyworts growing in them. Mathew, who has a penchant for upcycling metals, wood and glass bottles, explains how his office table was created. “It is made using wooden planks which are used to transport heavy machinery. All I did was nail them together before painting them.”

All things vintage

His interest in upcycling took off from his love for restoring old bikes and cars. “In 2010, I bought a 1986 model Royal Enfield bullet for ₹45000 from the Ukkadam scrap market. Apart from the engine and a part of the chassis, I changed all the parts and converted it into a lightweight café racer model by adding a customised fuel tank. The wheel rim base is also altered from 19 inches to 18 inches,” says Mathew, who has also customises vintage automobiles such as Standard Royal Enfield (1997 model), Premiere Padmini (1991) ,Yamaha RX 135, Vespa (1967) a 1988 Chetak model for customers in Chennai, Coimbatore and Bengaluru.

Sea Horse

Mathew recalls the time he found an abandoned 1984 model of a Maruti SS 80 near a garbage pile at Ramnagar. “I found the owner and bought it for ₹ 22000 in 2015 and have been working on it for the past two years. It took me time to substitute original spares and finding a mechanic was equally challenging,” he says, adding that the car will be road worthy in July.

Animals in metal

The success of these initial projects led Mathew to experiment with other scrap metals and even trash. “I visit the scrap market at least once a week to see if I can get my hands on any interesting materials. I also pick up things from the street like wooden branches, barks and rocks.” Ask the artist what inspires him, and he says “just about anything”. Mathew shows me a metal sea horse made with parts of trucks, bicycles and motorbikes. “The idea to pursue metal art came to me when I found a piston-linking-rod of a truck which reminded me of the head of a sea horse.” He added a cycle chain for the outline and welded the other parts into it to make the body. Then there is a dilapidated white harmonium that he found in a church. “I washed it and gave it a coat of paint. I am now working on fixing the instrument,” says Mathew who closely follows international artists like metal artist John T Benedict, Lasqueti wood carver Ingo Dyrkton and Oenika Studio, which specialises in wooden scale modeling.

Jagan Mathew

Plant in a box

His plants that come in innovative containers such as old metal trunk boxes, broken camera lenses and old metallic jugs are a hit with youngsters. “I convert trunk boxes into table top gardens with ferns and cacti. The mirror inside the lens is removed to fill in soil. I also choose plants that are easy to grow.” says the 28-year-old, explaining how a piece of wooden bark he found in Ooty is now a prominent wall décor artefact in his house. “I grew Staghorn ferns on it and now the piece looks like the face of an elf — the leaves resembling its long horns.” Since Mathew launched his Instagram handle, screwloose.co, in March he has been flooded with orders for his terrariums, upcycled planters and clocks made with scrap wooden planks. He has also taken around 20 workshops on upcycling for school students in Bihar, Salem, Puducherry, Coimbatore and Chennai.

Garden in a box

What next

And if you have old wooden planks or containers at home, Mathew is open to customised orders too. “Most people like to buy ready-made products and this mindset needs to change. Think before you discard. With a little thought anything can be utilised differently,” says the artist who is now working on renovating an old house at Tatabad. “ I am restoring old lanterns and bird cages in the house.

Plants in old lens

Old or discarded wooden planks will be used to make chairs and tables.” The wildlife photography enthusiast’s next project involves crafting life-size metal models of endangered species. “As I studied more about threatened species, I was alarmed at their dwindling numbers. I am planning to do projects on the Nilgiri Tahr, Lion Tailed Macaque and Great Hornbill.”

₹600 onwards. For details, mail jaganmathew165@gmail.com