Artist Creates Captivating Sculptures At Boston Harborwalk That Challenge Perception (10 Pics)

Michael Alfano is a sculptor whose art goes beyond the literal, conveying abstract concepts about humanity. His work combines familiar shapes with a surreal presentation to spark curiosity and contemplation. Alfano's sculptures utilize negative space to draw attention to the intangible, while accompanying quotations enrich the viewer's experience. His art aims to provoke thought, generate discussion, and inspire change. With a focus on the human form, The artist's sculptures are created through a meticulous process that involves sketching, clay modeling, and casting. His artwork can be found in galleries, museums, and private collections worldwide. Today, we've collected a few interesting face sculptures from his "Boston Harborwalk" series. Check out the amazing masterpieces in the gallery below. More info: Website | Instagram

#1 Liquid Sunshine

Image source: Michael Alfano, Photo by Glasshouse Media “Turn towards the sun and all shadows will fall behind you.”- Adapted from Charles Swain Liquid Sunshine recognizes simple pleasures amidst harshworking conditions at the Navy Yard. Virginia Wilder Parker recalled her experiences as a welder working in the dry docks: “…It was quite dangerous…[In summer] it would be so hot that you couldn’t put your hand down on the steel, you’d get burned.” Parker also remembered a coworker’s kindness on a hot day: “She had brought me down a big Coca-Cola… And I didn’t even know her.” The sculpture in yellow is titled Liquid Sunshine. It is also available in custom colors and is then known as Poured – see additional photos of the tabletop version, or the monumental version, which is suitable for outdoor use.

#2 Blown

Image source: Michael Alfano, Photo by James Lee “We must be pulled by our dreams rather than our memories.”- Jesse Jackson Blown is also available in resin, and as a smaller wall-hanging sculpture.

#3 Stroke of Genius

Image source: Michael Alfano, Photo by Adrien Sipos “Where things yet to be are seen”- Michael Alfano Stroke of Genius is available in other colors, and in a wall-hanging version.

#4 Homo Cosmos

Image source: Michael Alfano, Photo by Adrien Sipos “I … a universe of atoms … an atom in the universe”- Richard Feynman This sculpture can instead be mounted to spin as seen in this video or can be mounted on a wall.

#5 Self Reflection

Image source: Michael Alfano, Photo by Adrien Sipos “We are the mirror as well as the face in it.”- Rumi Healing is a process of the body, mind, and spirit, and often requires looking inside and reflecting on one’s life including past, present, and future. See additional photos of the monumental size and pedestal size versions.

#6 Three Futures

Image source: Michael Alfano “Whether you go up the ladder or down it, your position is shaky. When you stand with your two feet on the ground, you will always keep your balance.”- The Tao

#7 Cosmic Vision

Image source: Michael Alfano “We are a way for the cosmos to know itself.”- Carl Sagan See additional photos.

#8 Turning Heads

Image source: Michael Alfano “The unnamable is the eternally real. Naming is the origin of all particular things.”- The Tao Turning Heads rotates when viewers push one of the pieces that form the oversize face. The components of the sculpture are each of a different skin tone, just we all are comprised of ancestors from around the world, in our recent or ancient past. See additional photos or watch a video of Turning Heads.

#9 Gates of Transcendence

Image source: Michael Alfano, Photo by Adrien Sipos “We are like islands in the sea, separate on the surface but connected in the deep.”- William James In Gates of Transcendence, the monumental face is split down the middle, with one half black and the other white, conveying that the face of humanity includes all sides. The bases are the opposite colors of the sculptures they support, implying that any part of humanity relies on the other parts. The divisions do not represent struggle and opposition, but rather express a complementary unity.

#10 Questioning Mind

Image source: Michael Alfano “The important thing is to not stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existing.”- Albert Einstein Questioning Mind is available in different sizes, for tabletop or wall hanging display, and in bronze or resin – see additional photos of the variations.