Unraveling Steel Ballerina Sculptures Symbolize Mortality

From a distance, these ballerina sculptures seem elegant and peaceful, a beautiful representation of a graceful dance form. However, upon closer investigation, the wire sculptures might actually send a shiver down your spine. Based in Johannesburg, artist Regardt van deer Meulen formed the figures out of steel as an illustration of the vulnerable human body. They stand larger than life as a visual contradiction between the energy and movement of a lively dancer compared to a disintegrating form that no longer breathes healthy life.

The artist says, "The human body with its strength and fragility lie at the core of this series of works, while exposing the illusion of safety in modern society." Just like a dead body decomposes in the earth, his ballerinas appear to be decomposing right before our eyes, falling apart and drifting away into nothingness. Viewers are instantly reminded of fleeting youth and the ever-lingering concept of mortality.