Mexican artist Emil Melmoth crafts bleak, yet absorbing sculptures that combine gothic and religious themes. Or as the artist puts it himself, he’s “inspired on the macabre, death culture, freakshow, medical anatomica, catholicism, deformities.” The artist’s works are currently part of the show “The Wanderer’s Dissection” at Last Rites Gallery in New York, lasting through Sept. 9.
“Melmoth’s works have a darkly surreal allure to them, as the compositions fuse religious symbolism and carnival-esque demeanor within a surgical overtone, juxtaposing ideas of religious immortality and paradise with the reality of bodily imperfection, dissection, and truths of scientific knowledge,” a recent statement says. “Horrifically mutilated and contorted figures with missing limbs in iconic poses such as the crucifixion make up Melmoth’s body of work.”
These works often use epoxy clay, metal, wood, and other materials. The sizes range from smaller works to nearly human-sized pieces.
Oakland based artist 
Cai Guo-Qiang's work, including the monumental “Sky Ladder,” transforms the space with seemingly minimalist strokes. However, much of the work comes out of meticulous planning and labored execution. Recent portraits also continue the artist's use of surprising materials, such as the gunpowder portraits below.