Soheyl Bastami is an Iranian sculptor who creates work out of everything from sand to iron and wood. One of his more recent pieces, Extreme, is a combination of complex gears entwined into one simple and meditative form. Viewers are immediately invited to contemplate the relationship between the soft, slouching human figure, perched precariously on the top edge, as it relates to the hard, rigid materials of the machine. By creating the strong juxtaposition between the human and the unique arrangement that supports the figure, Bastami has constructed a poetic commentary on how the modern world has become quite reliant upon machines.

His large sculpture, Shepherd sits on the Modarres Highway in Tehran, contrasting rural and urban lifestyle (source).