When the sculpture speaks
- David sculpts meaningful pieces in clay and bronze
- His practice examines human-animal symbolism, fables and cultural belief systems
- His primary material, clay, offers a way to reimagine change and evolution
David Salazar approaches sculpture as a balance between material knowledge and conceptual inquiry. His practice studies how cultures use animals and fables to articulate human experience, particularly regarding loss, faith and transformation. David hand models clay, creates moulds and works with bronze casting. His ongoing installation series, Forever Birds Botanicals, presents birds in transition into plant forms. “I am interested in experimenting with the physical properties of clay to depict trauma and renewal,” he says. Alongside his studio practice, David teaches foundry and casting processes, impressing the importance of patience, safety and a deep respect for the material’s history.
Interview
- Where does clay play a role in your approach?
- Clay offers a direct, physical way of thinking. Its changing state allows for gesture, adjustment and gravity to be part of the process. It taught me how form evolves over time, and it remains the foundation of how I understand sculpture.
- Why have animals and fables become key themes for you?
- Animals allow us to speak about difficult human experiences indirectly. Fables carry cultural memory and can be read differently by children and adults, creating space for multiple interpretations without imposing a single narrative.
- What inspired your Forever Birds Botanicals collection?
- The series explores what comes after loss. Birds that collide with a wall transform into botanicals, suggesting decay feeding new life. The collection focuses on the unstable middle ground between collapse and renewal.
- How does teaching shape your practice?
- Teaching reinforces the importance of process. I ask students to slow down, learn materials thoroughly and work collectively. Concept follows craft. Understanding history, chemistry and technique enables meaningful experimentation.
David Constantino Salazar is a master artisan: he began his career in 2007 and he started teaching in 2017
Where
David Constantino Salazar
