Precious Soul

A handmade piece of art by South African Born Artist – Charl Enslin, made from Leather, Mild Steel and Glass

Working in glass for the first time opened a new dimension for Charl Enslin. Being used to “fighting” the material in a sense. Cold metal resists you where glass just flows and almost needs to be contained.  What inspired Charl to create this custom piece of art.

“I did not then and do not fully understand completely now how glass moves and reacts, and that excites me. With this particulate piece I tried to almost achieve a “cast glass” feeling; I wanted the detail of the objects a from a mould when casting in bronze.  The details from the objects would represent the indentations circumstances and life leaves on our souls as humans; which ultimately shapes us- gives us character.  I suspended the “Precious Soul” in a leather basket/cradle- to float amidst the rough metal; the harshness of the world in which it moves. The metal steel structure I’ve put together to represent itself as if it was a forward object- used for a different purpose.  I concealed the welds- to look like a stick structure. The structure serves at  same time as a pedestal for the precious contained soul.”