The Unraveling of Being
A Journey into Human Existence
This title implies a process of unraveling or revealing what it means to ‘be’. It’s about peeling off layers to reach the core of human existence.
About the Project
At the core of this captivating creation lies an invitation to delve deeper into the essence of human existence. This artwork, a delicately sculpted head, partly revealed and partly closed, poses a provocative question: “Do humans need a soul to be human?” The artistic intervention, where a quarter of the head is diagonally cut open, offers a rare window into the presumed seat of the soul. The iron wire completes the form, yet allows for transparency and reflection, symbolizing the elusive nature of the soul.
This sculpture challenges the viewer to ponder the invisible elements that make us human. Without providing explicit answers, the artwork stimulates a dialogue about the nature of our inner self, our spiritual core, and the concept of the soul. This work, a cross between sculpture and philosophical exploration, invites us to consider what we lose, or indeed discover, in the quest for our own soul. In this contemplative space lies the true beauty and power of the artwork, taking the viewer on an introspective journey to the heart of being human.
How I Made It
My initial idea was to create the sculpture in ceramics, but since I prioritized other projects, I ran out of time for this method. Instead, I ended up making the sculpture from PU foam. I started by taking a box of approximately the right size and filled it with the foam (a bit too much, actually). After it dried, I carved out the shape. Once the form was completed, I noticed it had too many gaps and the structure wasn’t right, so I covered it with two layers of papier-mâché. After letting that dry, I painted and varnished it to achieve the desired color. As a final step, I incorporated the words listed below into the head. I chose these words because I feel they resonate with the question, “Does the soul make us human?”
