Most people spend their time at the beach, and chances are you’ve constructed one or more sand castles. Maybe some of them went as far as to bury their friend and transform them into a mermaid in an attempt to do something even more elaborate. In any case, when it comes to sand sculptures, artist Andoni Bastarrika has you beat. He fashions amazingly lifelike sand animal sculptures to deceive onlookers into believing they had wriggled up onto the shore. You might wonder what the problem is with these creatures lazing on the beach.
Most people associate going to the beach with relaxing by the water, getting some sun, or even creating some sandcastles. The talented artist, who hails from Spain’s Basque region, uses the area’s beaches as his canvas for his works of land art.
Andoni Bastarrika forged his own route to develop into the accomplished street artist he is today, far from the sterile halls of the Spanish Fine Art Institute. He discovered what his life’s work was by chance: uniting people through the influence of creativity and imagination. However, Bastarrika claims that even after 10 years of producing the most astounding and lifelike sand sculptures, “he’s continuously discovering what his hands can accomplish since the sand is deciding what shape it wants to assume.”
The artist Bastarrika is self-taught. He used to run a fruit store and be a licensed shiatsu practitioner. He remarked, “Perhaps that’s what led me to see the world through my hands. He didn’t realize he had a gift until the summer of 2010 when, while spending the day at the beach with his children, he assisted them in finishing a sand sculpture.
Bastarrika collects between 1,100 lb and 3,300 kg of sand to make his sculptures. Most of Bastarrika’s work is done by hand. He enjoys touching and feeling the sand. He takes a photograph of the object he is sculpting as a guide during the process, but the majority of his inspiration comes from his active imagination. A sculpture typically takes 6 to 12 hours to complete, after which it is either removed by the wind or the artist himself because he needs to clear the common area where he usually works.
Most of the time, Bastarrika’s work displays humility rather than ego. Working with sand can be difficult, he said. “Particularly since I use poor-quality sand, which prevents me from creating elaborate sculptures. But sand has always been my teacher, that’s its way of teaching us a lesson about the dangers of ego and trying to go too fast.”
Contrary to what the modern world has frequently attempted to persuade us, the destruction of great works of art reflects both our disintegration and our fleeting existence on Earth. Bastarrika stated, “My intention is to portray freedom and overwhelm people with beauty that is universal.” The passing of time as represented by these living sculptures is even more ubiquitous. Perhaps this is why Bastarrika’s sculptures exude such a strong sense of emancipation, as decay is the price of freedom.
“I don’t know where this experience will take him, just as I don’t know where it came from,” Bastarrika acknowledged. Despite his modesty, the Spanish artist has been sought out by talent scouts in the UK and Saudi Arabia in addition to being recruited by Spanish communities to create sculptures and teach others in yearly workshops. “Overall, I’m excited to present fresh workshops this summer. Though I enjoy working with children, I’m willing to work wherever, whether it in Australia, Africa, or Europe.”
“Today is the moment to make art and live calmly, to lead a simple life, but a joyful life,” Bastarrika requested that we convey to you. How would you respond to him? Do you concur with what he said? Do you still believe that using art to rebel and find happiness is worthwhile? Please tell us in the comments. Photo courtesy of Facebook and Andoni Bastarrika Artista. Visit Andoni Bastarrika’s Instagram to view more of his creations.
Animal Sand Sculptures By Andoni Bastarrika That Are Stunningly Realistic. In this video, you can see some of them:
Lynne says
Beautiful and lifelike sculptures. I like the artist’s philosophy on life. I wish him a fruitful future. Talented and humble. A rare combination.