The Shishi Sculpture

Centered on the mythic lion dogs that stood watch across Japanese temple ground, Damian Ardestani and Surrealium present a stark monochromatic revival in solid gypsum. Crouched low and caught mid breath, tight spiral curls run across the mane and down the flanks, with a scrolled tail lifted behind in a talismanic balance of ferocity and serenity. Worked entirely in hand painted black, every rosette and curl is raised from one dark body. Fierce enough to repel evil, calm enough to receive the whispered prayers of those who seek its protection, it brings an otherworldly, protective stillness and an unyielding weight to a quiet corner. This is the sculptural work Surrealium is known for.