Mythos
Obatala
Behind the Scenes
I sculpted and painted this piece as a gift for my mom. The peaceful and resilient facial expression, the weathered and battered hands and glistening stardust-touched clothes, are messages meant only for her, like a letter in clay. The figure is quite small, a scale I don’t often work in but one suited for this love letter to my hero and best friend … the single mom who raised me, guiding and supporting me through every step of my journey in this life. The person who sculpted me.
Obatala
Obatala is an orisha in the beliefs of the Yoruba people, a West African ethnic group who mainly inhabit parts of Nigeria, Benin, and Togo. In their ancient stories, Obatala was given the task of creating the earth but failed in that commission because he got drunk on palm wine and was outshined by his little brother, Oduduwa who completed the job. Obatala was therefore given the important task of creating human beings, for which he was given the title, “the sculptor of mankind.”
Can you see why I love the guy?
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Let’s make something amazing together
Please note, all Manifest Sculpt work is completed with traditional sculpting techniques—modelling and carving—rather than through modern digital techniques and programs. Consequently, the resin and bronze castings in this edition were also produced through traditional mold making and manufacturing processes. Final Manifest Sculpt commissions are available in a variety of materials, but they are not 3D printed and are not available as printable files. Copyright Notice: all work, including ideation, concepts, stories and their development, character design and production are the property of Carlos Soca unless otherwise noted, and all rights are reserved. Should you wish to discuss collaboration or licensing of an intellectual property or its design, please contact Manifest Sculpt.