Venus de Metal

Recontextualising the imposing Ancient Greek Venus de Milo within a dark, intense and contemporary metal narrative.

Created around 300-100 BC, the breathtaking, armless sculpture depicts the ethereal Greek goddess Aphrodite – associated with love, lust, beauty, pleasure and passion.

Aphrodite was married to Hephaestus, the god of fire, blacksmiths and metalworking.

Yet she was obsessed with the mortal hunter Adonis, renowned for his unparalleled beauty – captivating both mortals and goddesses.

He was beloved by both Aphrodite and the queen of the underworld, Persephone.

King of the gods Zeus decreed that Adonis would spend part of the year with each goddess, reflecting the cyclical nature of the seasons.

Adonis was killed by a wild boar and from his blood, the Anemone flower sprang forth. His tragic death and Aphrodite’s subsequent mourning symbolized the decay of nature in winter, while his “rebirth” from the underworld represented the return of spring.

Venus de Metal examines Aphrodite’s emotional vulnerability caused by her obsession with the handsome bad boy Adonis.

While he stalked the underworld with Persephone, Aphrodite cooled her boots creating her wild metal wardrobe.

Each piece testifies to the potency of human emotion and the residual sentiment lingering long after the end of a doomed romantic entanglement.