His sculptures feature some recurring characters , including the very pampered chihuahua frederico ( rendered life-size ) and an intricately crafted melancholic clown named pierrot .
A driver with a big bushy beard lay on his back , hugged an ageing tape player and listened with closed eyes to a melancholic pashtun woman singing about love , longing and betrayal . His right foot drew circles in the air .
Like the saying " what does not kill me , makes me stronger " , being sad and melancholic can leave sufferers better able to cope with life 's challenges , more resilient and spur them to greater achievements , it is claimed .
She had a wary , melancholic air and was curled up in a chair , as though recoiling from the camera that she knew was embedded in the wall behind her husband .