Time has endless possibilities. It can hurt. It can heal. It can be fluid. Sometimes it can seem settled. Philosophers from the Western and Arab world have written extensively about time and how we map our evolution by keeping it at the center of our existence. Taking this idea a step further, UAE resident and clock sculptor Amjad Al-Hajj has designed intricate clock pieces that speak to how we understand time in all its forms.

Take, for example, its creation Big Bang This is part of the Mysteries of the Universe collection, which Amjad will be exhibiting at Downtown Design from November 6-9. Merging art and science, this exquisite watch is inspired by the cosmic event that shaped the universe. Another watch, Supernova, which will be unveiled at Downtown Design, beautifully captures the grandeur of an exploding star. In short, Amjad’s work speaks of time as a witness to the evolution of the cosmic world.

“It started when I was a child,” says the Jordanian when asked about the origins of his interest in clocks as works of art. “I was fortunate to have an environment to showcase my artistic talent. I was allowed to draw on the walls. I was given paint and brushes to express myself. In fact, my father also explained to me how to use construction tools like a hammer or screwdriver, while my mother was an artist herself. This, coupled with an early education prioritizing art, helped Amjad delve into architecture which ultimately paved the way for his work in clockwork sculpture.

An important caveat to all of his watches is that they are considered more from an aesthetic point of view than a functional one. “I’m not a watchmaker,” he says. “Technically, I can’t design a clock to tell time. But I can imagine the aesthetics of a clock. I use a Swiss supplier who provides me with the mechanism to operate a clock. We also use other specialist services to tackle the complex horological aspects of a clock. What I create are essentially sculptures in the form of timepieces.

One such elaborate and evocative work of art is the NAFFCO Clock Tower. Spanning 13 meters, the clock that today stands firmly in the heart of Jebel Ali was created as part of a commission from Khalid Al Khatib, then chairman of NAFFCO, who “wanted a monument that captured the ‘spirit of his company’. Amjad created the watch using steel and granite with numerals made from the former. It represents time as an endless phenomenon that dominates all human activities.

Cut to the present, the Downtown Design exhibition will present its most recent creations with the theme of cosmology. “Every creation has a story, a certain feeling and a certain connection with people. I want to be able to create Dubai Clock, to have at least one of my watches in the heart of every city in the world,” says Amjad.

The NAFFCO clock tower spans 13 meters

This would be a laborious task given that each of his watches takes at least six months to complete, with discussions continuing over whether there should be solo pieces or a limited edition collection. As for what actually goes into designing a clock, he says it starts with an idea – “the concept”. “It can be inspired by flowers, the sky, nature or a story. This moment is magical and therefore inexplicable because an idea begins to speak to you. I then start drawing models and then I start working on the details. The technical parts, although taken into account, remain largely secondary. Sometimes the idea remains vague for months before taking a more complete form, but Amjad says most of his works, usually priced at $30,000 or more, are completed within six months. “I have to look at the details from different angles. It’s not always about being big, you have to say something profound.

In Big Bang, Amjad used hidden elements

For example, one of his next pieces, titled Illusion, is a clock that Amjad wants to consider illegible. In other words, it will be a clock that does not tell the time. “There is a scientific concept that suggests that time is an illusion. The function then becomes secondary to what I’m trying to do here. Let’s be real: if people actually want to tell the time, all they have to do is look at their phone or watch. Great watches must therefore fulfill a function that combines art and science,” explains Amjad.

And sometimes he deliberately hides patterns so that the viewer can spot their finer nuances. In Big Bang, for example, there are hidden numbers. “In the cosmology collection, there are hidden design elements, which make them more interesting,” he says. “The theme of all my projects is centered on time which then evolves into sculptures that do not tell time. But time is an extremely profound subject. I’m told it’s the most used pronoun in English.

The origin is a simple, well-measured piece of concrete

Making art from a clock is a rare endeavor. Amjad says he has yet to meet anyone pursuing a similar approach. “Even when I went to Switzerland to do these collaborations, I was told that something like this had never been seen before. I suppose a lot of this is because I address larger existential questions through my watch sculptures: where do we come from, where are we going? »

In this sense, what was his most difficult project? “Illusion is complex because it is organic. Each work has its own challenge, and that’s really the fun part. But I strongly believe in minimalism as a design philosophy. Originfor example, is a simple, well-measured piece of concrete. But a lot of work was needed to get the proportions and finish right. Many would look at it and think it’s a simple rectangle. This is not the case. This is why it is said that beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder.

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Anamika Chatterjee

Anamika Chatterjee is deputy features editor at Khaleej Times. A senior journalist, she leads the arts, culture, entertainment and lifestyle verticals for the publication’s print and digital platforms.