Caio Marcolini is an artist whose fascination with organic systems has led him to create stunning sculptures woven with thin strips of brass, copper, and iron wire. His inspiration comes from the patterns found in nature, such as the trails left by the sea on the sand or the intertwined roots of trees in a forest. However, it was the birth of his first child in 2021 that sparked his interest in exploring how these intricate patterns are reflected within the human body.
Marcolini, trained as a goldsmith, incorporates jewelry-making techniques and industrial design principles into his meticulous, hand-powered process. Using mallets, dowels, and various manual tools, he creates uniform meshes that he shapes into supple, rounded forms. The resulting sculptures feature hollow tubes emerging from delicate bell-like structures secured to a wall, with long drips occasionally dropping from the upper area and dangling mid-air.
The artist sees these woven metal pieces as individual cells or DNA that repeat to create new forms. Each sculpture is malleable, transparent, and abstract, resembling the complex systems found in the human body, as well as the creatures of the forests and oceans. Marcolini’s collections are titled with words like colony, system, captured, and bilateral, reflecting the relationship between the individual components and the larger whole. Each body of work becomes a community of organisms that seem to have a life of their own.
Marcolini’s solo exhibition, “Not Every Repetition is a Return,” is currently on view at Galeria Lica Pedrosa in São Paulo until May 23. His work can also be found on his website and Instagram page. The artist’s intuitive and exploratory process results in sculptures that are open-ended and fluid, inviting viewers to interpret and engage with them in their own way.
The intricate and mesmerizing sculptures created by Caio Marcolini are a testament to his unique artistic vision and skilled craftsmanship. By weaving together metal wires with precision and creativity, he creates works that blur the lines between nature, art, and the human body. Each piece is a reflection of the interconnectedness of all living things, inviting viewers to contemplate the beauty and complexity of the world around them.
