This Artist Creates a Unique Sculptures and Landscapes from Bullet Shells and Cartridges

Federico Uribe transforms common objects, such as sneakers, into colorful figures that stretch the limits of a given material’s original use and value. Born in Colombia, the artist moved to the United States to study painting, but he abandoned his painting practice in the early 2000s to create sculptures and installations of human figures and animals.

He uses readymade materials in innovative ways; golf balls, for example, serve as the fleece of sheep in some sculptures. Painting remains an important formal influence for Uribe, who often integrates paintbrushes and colored pencils into his works.

Explaining the impetus for including such items, the artist has said, “Colored pencils are essentially lines of color that you can make in any size. So essentially it’s a line of color that you can build with.”