PHOTOS: Italian Sculptor Recreates Classic Marble Statues with Modern Gang Tattoos

By Ammar Haziq  •  in Design
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Images via Fabio Viale

Classical marble statues have always been cool to look at and admire. Imagine the technique, passion and hours the artists put into their work to make them as humanly realistic as possible. Now imagine those same statues but with badass ink all over their bodies.

Italian sculptor, Fabio Viale uses a refined, cultured and eccentric approach to his marble sculptures, showing us a contemporary look at the old and familiar. He doesn’t paint the tattoos over the sculptures, instead, he uses a technique to infiltrate the marble as would tattoo-needles penetrate the human skin.

Using famous sculptures such as Venus de Milo as his canvas, Viale “inked” the sculptures with symbols inspired by Russian and Japanese gang tattoos. The sculptures are decorated with imagery of Hell, demons, guns, skulls and other secretive designs that come from the complex code of the prisoner community.

The results of his work show a sharp contrast between the purity and nobility associated with classical marble statues, with the dark and gritty undertones of the contemporary art they wear on their bodies.

Take a look at Viale’s tattooed sculptures below:

Check out Fabio Viale’s work on his website and follow him on Instagram.

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