“Momento Mori Humanus”
Plaster Bust, Beeswax Candle
Dimensions: 15 x 20 x 18
Ryan Inoue
In Western Society, the idea of death is considered a taboo. Being human comes with the burden of having the unshakable fear of the unknown- no one knows what comes beyond death, to help answer these curiosities, we are oftentimes comforted by religious imagery or mythology. Even the idea of the human body decomposing and morphing in shape is grotesque and uncomfortable- but what if the change was beautiful and celebrated?
I wanted to celebrate the preservation of the human body, while creating my own imaginary “religious figure”, creating a plaster bust with candles dripping down the face of the subject. The candle wax and the flame is a fleeting and fragile thing, just like human mortality itself.
(Much to my dismay, the project didn’t go as intended, and I need to re-do the whole cast. This is absolutely an art piece I intend of re-doing and finishing. Just like the process of death and decay, unexpected changes and lack of control is inevitable; but I am determined to finish this work as intended.)
Work in Progress Sketch