"THEORY OF THE UNIVERSE" Artwork

ASTIAN REY Born in 1987 in Kyiv, Ukraine. In 2010, graduated from Borys Grinchenko Kyiv University, Faculty of Fine Arts. In his work, Astian Rey explores the human image, ancient myths, and mystical symbols. The aesthetics of brutalism, with its rough welding seams, reflect honesty and a rejection of idealization in his creations. At the same time, the artist develops his own musical project «Codex Reptilius» and composes in the styles of Heavy Metal and Ambient. His works are held in private collections in Ukraine, the USA, and Europe. ARTIST STATEMENT My artistic practice is based on working with metal as a metaphor for inner transformation. By creating sculptures, I primarily depict my own inner changes — processes occurring in my subconscious that find reflection in material, image, and form. Metal resists, yields, and transforms under the influence of heat and force — just as the human subconscious responds to life’s trials. Cracks and seams on its surface reveal the vulnerability of solid steel under human impact, symbolizing the influence of life experience and environment on our mind and body. Writing music is also part of my creative process, allowing me to reflect on life experience and express it in a more multifaceted form, uniting sound and matter into a single whole.