Prancing Horse – Sculptural Study
A personal interpretation in silver-plated brass, striped flint and Art Deco geometry
Prancing Horse was created from a long-standing fascination with the prancing-horse figure associated with Ferrari. What fascinated me was never the logo itself, but the remarkable balance contained within the figure. Suspended between movement and control, strength and elegance, the horse appears simultaneously stable and on the verge of motion.
The desire to understand that tension became the starting point for the work. Rather than reproducing a familiar emblem, I wanted to reinterpret the figure through the material language of Kostylo Atelier and transform a graphic symbol into an autonomous sculptural object.
The horse was developed as a study of contained energy. Its raised forelegs, extended body and lifted tail establish a continuous directional rhythm, while the head and flowing mane introduce a sharper visual tension. The sculpture was modelled so that its movement unfolds from multiple viewpoints rather than resolving into a single recognisable silhouette.
The form was cast in brass using the lost-wax method and then refined extensively by hand. Filing, correction and repeated adjustments of the modelling were used to strengthen the transitions between musculature, torso, mane and limbs while preserving the fluidity of the figure.
The sculpture was subsequently finished with a heavy silver plating. The reflective surface responds continuously to changing light, emphasizing movement and reducing the visual weight of the metal. Reflections travel across the figure in a way that reinforces the impression of energy held in suspension.
The base was conceived as an essential part of the composition rather than a neutral support. Drawing from the geometry and disciplined structure of Art Deco, it provides an architectural counterpoint to the dynamism of the horse above.
At the centre of the base lies a selected piece of striped flint. For many years this stone has held particular significance in my work. Beyond its geological beauty, striped flint has often been associated with optimism, strength and protection. Its presence introduces a symbolic dimension that contrasts with the movement of the horse while simultaneously reinforcing its sense of confidence and determination.
The stone was not chosen as decoration. Its pattern, orientation and scale became part of the architecture of the base and part of the meaning of the sculpture itself.
The silver-plated horse and the striped flint operate in different ways. One changes continuously with light and reflection. The other preserves within its surface a structure formed through geological time. Their relationship creates the central tension of the work: movement above, permanence below.
A custom presentation case was created specifically for the sculpture. Its structure protects the silver-plated surfaces and stone base while providing a dedicated setting for the object beyond display.
Prancing Horse belongs to the Sculptural Objects section of the Collection, where recognisable forms are reconsidered through material, proportion and authorship.
The result is not simply a horse inspired by a familiar emblem. It is a personal interpretation of a figure that has fascinated me for years – a sculptural study in which movement, optimism, reflective metal, Art Deco geometry and striped flint are brought together within a single composition.
