Small Sculptures
I created small, expressive movement studies of human figures, frozen in dynamic poses like life drawings. Movement and surface details—skin, hair, bone—became secondary methods to imply character, desires, and beauty. During that period, I sought ways to deepen my work, which I could only approximate through drawing. My interest in steel led me to craft workshops to understand the material and learn technical skills. I found MIG/MAG welding particularly engaging. The process feeds a wire through a hose to the torch, serving as both electrode and filler, allowing delicate, sensitive form sculpting.
Once mastered, the technique can produce volumetric shapes, with slow, sketch-like strokes creating expressive effects. It’s crucial to stop at the right moment; too long, and the molten metal fills in detailed spaces.
This process fascinates skilled draftsmen, as models can’t hold poses long enough to be fully captured. Artists memorise poses and transfer them into their work, drawing on observation, memory, and translation into new materiality. Naturally, there is also a lot of scrap, but it can be recycled. The satisfaction of creating a successful figure boosts confidence and inspires further attempts. Over time, these figures develop personalities, names, and become personal acquaintances.
