wax machine hums through the night, 2024

Sealing wax, tealight wax, model magic, plastic cabochons on canvas; poem in digital text

I had the honor of making this piece to contribute to the second issue of S1M* "Simulacra Magazine"; an independent art magazine.

My idea was a theming of identity, a piece about a "wax machine"; alluding to a nebulous concept of a mechanism that prints out perfect but false, malleable "identities". All of which will eventually wear out of shape and be cheaply replaced with the next one.

I took a massive leap of faith with choosing physical over digital, in choosing sculpture, and in choosing wax as my material. It started out of my recent hobby of pressing wax seals, and wondering if I could make art by pouring seal wax onto canvases and into shaped molds. I didn't know if I could make it come together, and at many points I felt I made a mistake trying it for the first time for a publication of all things. But I'm so glad I stuck with it, I feel like it paid off and opened a new passion for me! I found that wax was actually such a merciful medium; all mistakes and experiments could be peeled off and remelted, carved, or simply covered with more. Its gracefully impermanent and reusable.
Everything you see is sealing wax (save for two plastic bows), with the body being mainly tealight wax I sculpted and poured onto a model magic base. Not only I now love the possibilities of wax, I love the symbology that can be assigned to it.

CW; Magazine contains sensitive themes surrounding mental health & violence, nudity
You can buy a copy of S1M* or browse the free PDF here!