The angels are fashioned, by chisel and hammer, from oil drums discarded from the nearby capital’s refineries. All of it, start to finish, is done by hand. The drums are incinerated to remove paint and residue, the cap and bottom are removed, and the cylinder is unfurled and beaten flat.
The artist draws templates an apprentice takes a chisel to, and the work advances painstakingly to the final stage of embellishment. The predominant technique, known as repoussé, is to strike patterns into the metal using nails and other implements appropriate for the desired effect. Finally, the frocks are turned so that the angel is free-standing.