Muhammad
Sohail

I began eighteen years ago, under a mentor who taught me the traditional methods, and taught me that this work asks for patience before it asks for skill. The rest I learned from the metal itself, one piece at a time.

The day starts by setting the table: chisels, hammers, punches, wax. Then I return to the piece that is waiting. Nothing starts fresh each morning. Every stage builds on the marks made before it, so the work is mostly patience and attention.

The hammer. It is where my time, my effort and my feeling pass into the work. Every strike leaves something behind on the metal. The hammer is what joins my hands to the finished piece.

Staying true to the drawing. Every line in the design has a purpose, so every strike has to serve it. There is very little room for a careless mark.

Three to four days for most pieces. A complex work can take weeks. It depends on the design, the detail, and how much handwork it asks for.

Much more than a way of making things. This craft has passed from hand to hand for generations. It holds part of our history, and part of who we are. If it disappears, that connection disappears with it.