The first breath, or getting out from a cocoon.
The sculpture “The First Breath, or Getting out from the Cocoon” is multifaceted and can be interpreted in various ways, depending on the viewer’s experience and worldview. While creating this sculpture, I reflected on transformation and rebirth, on a woman’s inner evolution. The cocoon symbolizes the past, perhaps the hardships or limitations that a person has overcome. The first breath signifies the beginning of a new chapter, the unveiling of oneself in a new light, and the courage to become a different woman.
The bat wings—an unusual and slightly provocative element—may symbolize the willingness to embrace one’s true nature, no matter what it may be. This is the essence of struggle, the only way to overcome difficulties and achieve freedom.
The combination of a graceful female figure with the dark bat wings hints at the harmony of opposites, the balance between light and darkness, fragility and strength.
The cocoon may be seen as a stage of “maturation,” a period during which a person undergoes inner evolution to break free from old constraints and attain a new understanding of themselves.
Mammoth tusk, 8.7 cm tall, 2006. USA, private collection