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Awe-Inspiring Marble Sculptures Perfectly Mimic Plush Pillows and Soft Skin

By Margherita Cole on May 31, 2021

Marble sculpture has been a hallmark of fine art for centuries. Renaissance and Baroque masters like Michelangelo and Bernini displayed their mastery of the medium by manipulating the hard stone into supple textures like fabric and skin. Contemporary artist Håkon Anton Fagerås continues the tradition with his realistic renditions of objects, animals, and people.

His ongoing series titled Down captures the wrinkled, lived-in appearance of plush pillows. These carvings mimic the inviting appearance of cushions that have just been slept on via their distinct puckered shapes. To Fagerås, this attention to detail—in all of the individual folds and the shadows that those creases create—is a way of suspending a moment in time. Like many soft fabrics, pillows change with each touch, so the arrangement of wrinkles on each sculpture makes the piece unique.

Similarly, Fagerås puts the same amount of care into his renderings of people. He smooths the marble to mimic the look of velvety skin by carefully sculpting the facial features and texturizing the hair. It's similar to classical sculptures from hundreds of years ago. In addition to objects and figurative sculptures, Fagerås also makes even tinier creations in the forms of different kinds of moths. These winged insects lay on a large slab of marble, splayed so that the viewer can admire the shape of their wings and antennae.

Scroll down to see more amazing marble sculptures by Fagerås, and follow the artist on Instagram to keep up to date with his latest projects.