From junk to genius: Tiny tech of Iraq's model maker
Shafaq News/ In a narrow room tucked behind a family home in southern Iraq, Karar Jabar hunches over a palm-sized turbine, guiding the final adjustments with hands marked by years of cuts from blades and drills.
Around him, shelves overflow with miniature models—tiny ships, rotating engines, scaled-down power stations. 'This,' he says without looking up, 'is how I translate science into something you can touch.'
Jabar, known professionally as Kari al-Maliki, has built more than 300 working models using scrap materials in his Maysan province workshop. 'Models should demonstrate, not decorate,' he told Shafaq News. 'Each one should do something, not just sit there.'
Kari's journey began in primary school when a teacher assigned a basic art project. Without proper materials, he constructed a model from discarded wire and plastic. The response was encouraging—and formative.
Through high school and university, he refined his skills. 'It wasn't about learning art, it was about learning how things work,' he recalled. By the time he entered college, demand for his models was growing, and the designs were increasingly realistic and mechanically accurate.
Kari splits his work into three tracks: personal prototypes, exhibition pieces showcased online or in festivals, and commissioned models for clients. He reinvests earnings into tools and materials, operating entirely from a compact home workshop that doubles as a lab and storage space.
'I've built machines up to two meters long in this one room,' he explained. 'Every tool, every wire, every piece is selected for what it can do, not what it costs.'
His materials include wood, aluminum, plastic, and salvage from scrap yards—each chosen for its functionality. Many of his models are motorized or mobile, simulating real industrial movement.
Teachable Moment
Kari's work has gained traction among Iraqi university faculty, who use his scaled-down systems in engineering, physics, and environmental science courses.
'These models allow us to show function in classrooms where real equipment is unaffordable or unavailable,' said Dr. Haider al-Abadi, a mechanical engineering lecturer in Maysan. 'They're accurate, practical, and invaluable in technical education.'
Some models replicate pumping systems, turbine operations, or engine mechanisms—bridging the gap between theoretical instruction and physical demonstration.
Despite suffering repeated injuries from sharp tools and heat-based shaping techniques, Kari maintains a relentless work ethic. 'Every scar reminds me that this work matters.'
He currently stores most of his models in his workshop, citing space constraints as a challenge. 'I don't have a display space, so I keep working. That's what matters.'
The young artist's goal is to complete 1,000 models that span technical, educational, and artistic applications. 'Creativity has no point if it doesn't serve others,' he concluded. 'If one student learns from what I built, the model has already succeeded.'
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