Have you ever seen sculptures so lifelike they seem alive? One of Eduardo Salinas’s works went viral after social media users uploaded videos in which it supposedly moved on its own. The detail in this sculptor’s works is such that he has received requests from Europe to exhibit them in museums outside of Mexico.
“I’m really happy about it. I think it’s a very popular figure… people like it so much that they say, ‘Oh, it moves! It stares at you!’” the Mexican sculptor commented in an interview with Mexican Press Agency (MxPA) about the popular sculpture of María Sabina.
This sculpture of the famous Mexican healer is featured in the “Witches in Mexico” exhibition in Guadalajara, Jalisco, but it’s not the only work by the sculptor on display; his work can also be found at the Serial Killer Museum in Mexico City and in an exhibition in Florence, Italy.
Eduardo Salinas, 56, originally from Mexico City, has been sculpting for nearly thirty years, and his mastery of the realism technique can be seen in the sculptures in his workshop.
This artist specializes in the human figure, creating particularly realistic portraits and the occasional monster or dinosaur.
The sculptor told MxPA: “Since I was a child, I was always very interested in art, even though I didn’t know it. I used to model a lot with clay… I created my own figures, my own versions of things. Watching monster movies, I would make my own museums with little figures under the window.”
The Mexican artist began his career at the Wax Museum in Mexico City, where he worked as a sculptor’s assistant and eventually coordinated the production chain for the museum’s figures.
“The Wax Museum was my school for 14 years; I couldn’t have asked for a better university,” Eduardo commented. He learned from all the sculptors and people who worked at the museum, from artists to carpenters. Everyone involved in the process had valuable secrets and techniques for this art.
Witches, werewolves, vampires, and dictators are the figures Eduardo sculpts; he acknowledges that these themes are complicated, but said he likes his pieces to be admired beyond morbid curiosity. For the sculptor, his works tell stories that can help us reflect on the terrible acts of these people and help us avoid repeating historical mistakes like those of dictators.
The fact that his pieces have managed to leave Mexico and find a home in Europe seems natural to the Chilango artist, as he commented that he has always worked with foreign entrepreneurs. He also applauded the initiative of these entrepreneurs who come from outside Mexico to invest in the country and create jobs.
Mexican Press Agency is part of ALMA, which is dedicated to news and information about Mexico and Mexicans in the United States and is a fiscally sponsored project of Social Focus, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization based in Redwood City, California.
