Mahmoud Rahal displays artwork that he made out of scrap metal inside his shop in Jenin refugee camp in the northern West Bank, on Feb. 24, 2021. (Photo by Nidal Eshtayeh/Xinhua)
by Sanaa Kamal
RAMALLAH, Feb. 24 (Xinhua) -- Mahmoud Rahal, a Palestinian man in his 30s, spends most of his time in collecting used equipment and scrap material to turn them into distinctive home decorations and furnishings.
"I have had the hobby of recycling old items and materials since I was a child," Rahal told Xinhua at his small home in the Jenin refugee camp in the northern West Bank, as he made a small animal toy with fine details out of metal pieces.
The young man believed that every person could have their own hobbies and improve their skills through practice, hard work and determination.
"What increases the value of these pieces is that they are made of waste," Rahal said. "I feel so content when my works are highly admired."
He revealed that he never draws a design for any of his artworks but purely relies on his imagination.
Rahal noted his hobby started to turned into a source of income in 2015, when he found his works were "appreciated by others especially the shop owners."
Facing a severe shortage of the traditional materials needed for decorations during the COVID-19 lockdown across the West Bank, Rahal resorted to other widely available ones such as empty gas barrels and oxygen cylinders to continue his meaningful work.
"My work during the lockdown has actually gone up and I was able to use this time for my advantage," he told Xinhua, flashing a smile.
Louay Weshahi, owner of a shop in Jenin city, said he asked Rahal to make decorations for his shop after learning about his talent.
"Rahal's artworks are not only beautiful, attractive and distinguished, but also affordable and suitable for the lifestyle of Jenin," Weshahi told Xinhua.
Rahal now looks forward to expanding his business culture that features distinctive decorative works with a simple and inexpensive artistic taste.
"I want to raise the public awareness of accepting recycled clean items, not only the decorations but everything else," he said.
Samira al-Qawasmi, a local woman in her 30s, said she preferred to buy recycled toys to imbue her children with the sense of environmental protection.
"Recycling is a new culture. We should raise awareness of recycling for our children to educate them that they can benefit from used things," the mother of three told Xinhua. Enditem
