Some people draw. Others paint. Others create intricate art out of sand. Hey, art is art right?
Meet Andoni Bastarrika, the man who has found his calling in creating animal sculptures that look just like the real thing—out of sand.
When you first take a gander at Bastarrika’s work, you just assume that they’re pictures of animals. What you don’t realize at first glance is that each one is actually an animal made out of tiny morsels of sand, sculpted into a beautiful depiction of every kind of creature—elephants, horses, pigs and beyond.
It all began on the beach in the summer of 2010 when he decided to make a mermaid out of sand to entertain his two daughters. He credits his talent to is hands, which “knew what they were doing,” he explains. From then on, he’s dedicated his life to furthering his talents as a sand artist.
The sculptures take him anywhere from six hours to two whole days to create. Perhaps his fascination with sand has a little to do with that.
“The sand fascinates me because no matter how you look at it, it will always teach you things if you are willing to learn,” he wrote on his Facebook account. “In order to create a sculpture, an unthinkable number of sand particles participate, hugging each other tightly through humidity, so that someone could model their union. And once the artist steps back, its piece will remain at the mercy of nature, meaning that sooner or later the wind will dry them up and release each particle, slowly consuming all the individuality and authenticity.”
If those words aren’t beautiful enough, then you’ve got to check out Bastarrika’s work. Prepare to be amazed at these stunning sand creatures—all crafted by Bastarrika himself.
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Baby Elephant
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Bulldog
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Iguana
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Shark
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Turtle
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Horse
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Octopus
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Alligator
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Orangutan
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How amazing are these animal sand sculptures? Have you ever seen a sand artist at work before?