Andoni Bastarrika, an artist from Basque, Spain created amazingly realistic sand sculptures so detailed that people often mistake them for live animals.
Bastarrika was unfamiliar with sculpture until he discovered he possesses a unique talent for carving sand on a trip with his daughters to one of the beaches nearby his hometown almost ten years ago. There, he attempted to create a tiny mermaid using sand. He soon realised that sculpting with sand is something he needed to pursue.
In an interview with Bored Panda, Bastarrika said:
"My both hands were looking like they knew what they were doing. I devoted myself to developing this gift and have spent the last 10 years doing just that."
Since then, Bastarrika began dedicating much time and energy visiting beaches in the northwestern parts of Spain ti create his pieces.
He said:
"The sand fascinates me because no matter how you look at it, it will always teach you things if you are willing to learn," the gifted artist wrote on Facebook. "In order to create a sculpture, an unthinkable number of sand particles participate, hugging each other tightly through humidity, so that someone could model their union. And once the artist steps back, its piece will remain at the mercy of nature, meaning that sooner or later the wind will dry them up and release each particle, slowly consuming all the individuality and authenticity."
The themes of most of his sculptures include animals in real-life sizes. His sculptures are so incredibly detailed that are often believed to be real animals.
Speaking of why he chooses to create sculptures of animals, Bastarrika explains:
"There are a lot of reasons why I like to make animal sculptures as well, but one is the fact that animals are free spirits. And I embrace their freedom, power, and wisdom through beauty."
When asked of the time needed to create each sculpture, the artist says:
"The time it takes to create one piece largely depends on its size. The elephant, for example, took me 2 days, while the horse and the bison took 12 hours each. The dogs, which were smaller, needed about 6 to 8 hours."
A post shared by Andoni Bastarrika (Artista) (@andoni_bastarrika_artista)
A post shared by Andoni Bastarrika (Artista) (@andoni_bastarrika_artista)
A post shared by Andoni Bastarrika (Artista) (@andoni_bastarrika_artista)
A post shared by Andoni Bastarrika (Artista) (@andoni_bastarrika_artista)
A post shared by Andoni Bastarrika (Artista) (@andoni_bastarrika_artista)
A post shared by Andoni Bastarrika (Artista) (@andoni_bastarrika_artista)
A post shared by Andoni Bastarrika (Artista) (@andoni_bastarrika_artista)
A post shared by Andoni Bastarrika (Artista) (@andoni_bastarrika_artista)
A post shared by Andoni Bastarrika (Artista) (@andoni_bastarrika_artista)
A post shared by Andoni Bastarrika (Artista) (@andoni_bastarrika_artista)
[h/t: HomesLuxury.NET]
COMMENTS