Clay Helmet-1M (Глиняна Каска-1М)

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Object: mixed media (clay, charcoal, iron oxide, burning)

Kaunas

2026

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In the spring of 2022, I received a "Kaska-1M" ballistic helmet from the Ukrainian front line. I carried this artifact between studios for years, unable to find a way to resolve its material and symbolic weight. To address this "unresolved" object, I began a process of ritual containment by enveloping the ballistic composite shell in layers of raw clay.

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As the clay dries, it reacts to the rigid form of the helmet—slumping, rippling, and curling away from the synthetic surface. This physical shift marks the moment the material "releases" the military form, transforming the artifact into a fragile, earthen vessel.

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