Scarp
D Islami
2025
Welded scrap metal
D Islami is a junior sculpture major at MECA&D who works at a mechanic shop on Long Island, NY, where he sources most of the welded metal for his art. Growing up on Long Island, D developed a close connection to the ocean, regularly visiting the beach for clamming and cleanups.
In my research into the automotive industry and its connection to pollution in the waters of Casco Bay, I was inspired to create a welded sculpture of a fish. Over spring break, I sourced materials from the mechanic shop where I work back on Long Island, NY. Using parts once intended for cars—an industry tied to pollution through exhaust emissions, microplastics from tires, and harmful chemicals like brake fluid and oil—I tell a story about how closely connected marine life and human industry have become.
I used a ball peen hammer to shape the metal into a fish-like form. The hammering process left a texture that reminds me of fish scales. I kept the species ambiguous and abstract, allowing viewers to see this as a representation not of a single fish, but of all aquatic life in Casco Bay.
Twenty young artists created art centered on the challenges, hopes, and fears for Casco Bay’s past, present, and future.
What happens when a group of young artists turn their talents toward protecting Casco Bay? A new collaboration with MECA&D brought powerful, creative answers.
