Substrate(s)
Vik Shpetna
2026
Substrate (a) is the first work in a developing series that explores the emotional and psychological layers that people build around themselves over time.
Inspired by the organic growth found in nature—lichens, tree bark, erosion—the work reflects on how experiences, habits, social roles, and memory gradually accumulate, reshaping the self. These layers can become protective, decorative, even beautiful. However, underneath them, something more vulnerable and hidden often remains.
Built over more than 65 hours, entirely by hand, the sculpture is composed of raffia crochet rings wrapped in indigo yarn, filled with recycled textile, and individually hand-stitched. A final layer of paint unifies the tones. The form grows organically upwards, referencing both natural structures and the silent architecture of human identity.
Substrate (a) is the first work in a developing series that explores the emotional and psychological layers that people build around themselves over time.
Inspired by the organic growth found in nature—lichens, tree bark, erosion—the work reflects on how experiences, habits, social roles, and memory gradually accumulate, reshaping the self. These layers can become protective, decorative, even beautiful. However, underneath them, something more vulnerable and hidden often remains.
Built over more than 65 hours, entirely by hand, the sculpture is composed of raffia crochet rings wrapped in indigo yarn, filled with recycled textile, and individually hand-stitched. A final layer of paint unifies the tones. The form grows organically upwards, referencing both natural structures and the silent architecture of human identity.