Visitors at a two-day art camp that concluded at Ranchi Club complex on Sunday were amazed to see how junk materials could be used to make aesthetic showpieces. The camp, organised by art school Shilpi, also exhibited acrylic paintings drawn by eight artists from Jharkhand and outside over this weekend.

Hyderabad-based fashion designer Sam Sharma won over hearts with his showpieces made from waste items such as rubber and plastic balls, caps of soft drink bottles, parts of defunct watches and discarded computer chips.

A vintage car made from discarded parts of watches proved a huge draw. So were two racing bikes made from caps of soft drink bottles and parts of defunct earphones.

Sharma also used old computer chips to create a sprawling landscape.

“It’s my hobby. It began as a leisure activity when I thought how waste items could be used to make something aesthetic,” said Sharma, who hails from Muzaffarpur in Bihar and is an alumnus of National Institute of Fashion Design, Ahmedabad.

Visitors were awe-struck by the creations. “Had I not come, I would have never believed such showpieces could be made from waste items,” wondered Samir Dey.

As for paintings, Dhanbad-based Subrato Roy Chowdhury’s Arjuner Lakshyabhed grabbed eyeballs with its portrayal of the legendary archer as a tribal youth. “I hail from Jharkhand. So, my character resembles local people,” explained Chowdhury.

Paintings by students of Shilpi art school were also put up for public viewing.