People have different ways of interpreting loss. Some see it as an end, while others see it as a beginning. Either way, life still goes on. And this what artist and sculptor Stephanie Kilgast hopes to impart in her series of weeping women sculptures.
Entitled Loss, this limited-edition collection features surrealistic sculptures that depict beauty in tragedy. It includes 12 sculpture pieces of grieving women, with each embracing and crying over a decaying being. The idea originated from one of Miles Johnston’s drawings. The drawing was then transformed and cast into sculptures by MoonCrane Press.
Each piece presents a kneeling and weeping woman with arms wrapped around a dripping figure resembling a departed loved one. The woman and the dripping figure come in contrasting colors of white and black, respectively. Despite the dark base color of the dripping figure, it still exhibits eye-catching rainbow hues on some parts of it. In addition, its body also shows little organisms sprouting all over it. In an Instagram post, Kilgast explained that these are actually mushrooms.
“…I added life with my mushrooms, because, whatever happens, life always keeps going. Even if it’s just on a bacterial level.”
Meanwhile, the sculptor also offers another way of interpreting these pieces.
“Another way of seeing this sculpture is to see the woman crying not over a human being but over the sixth mass extinction of nature that is currently happening.”
Either way, her works are able to manifest the concept of loss in a striking and heartfelt way. In a way, her pieces invite us to grieve, embrace loss, yet still see beauty even in tragic circumstances. After all, life goes on. And no matter how ironic it is, the end of one thing also signifies the start of something new.
Artist-sculptor Stephanie Kilgast has collaborated with illustrator Miles Johnston in creating the sculpture series Loss.
Source: Stephanie Kilgast