Ask Holly Silius for her body of work, and you’ll find the result to be quite literal. The British-born multidisciplinary visual artist of Lithuanian descent seeks to subvert traditional representations of the human body. Silius’ background in fine art and SFX make-up lets her straddle the lines of design and wearable art, producing stone body cast sculptures, masks, photography, and body jewelry.

From working with top models, celebrities, and public figures, Silius’ approach to the human form is inclusive of all bodies. Inspired by model Lio Mehiel’s top surgery, ‘Phantom Feel’ is a 2021 series of stone body sculptures reinventing traditional figurative sculpture with a gender-queer and transmasculine body. Silius’s raw approach to the human form has materialized into collaborations with Prada, Gucci, Miu Miu, Apple, Yeezy, and many more. For Silius, the body is but a canvas, ready to bend the boundaries.

You can check out more of their work here on Creatively and @hellocreatively on Instagram.

What is the first creative project you remember?

Wow, that’s a difficult one… I think I made a merry-go-round out of plasticine when I was 5 that spun around.

Describe your aesthetic in three words.

Morphology, sexy, liquid.

What was the most fulfilling collaboration you’ve worked on?

It might be a project that hasn’t even begun yet, which I hope I can make happen. It involves 3D printing with ocean waste plastic and an icon.

What’s one creative project that taught you something fundamental about yourself?

My 3D-printed wearable body sculptures were inspired by Georgia O’Keeffe. I learned so many extra aspects of this project that I feel like my knowledge of new methods really expanded. It’s super exciting and feels like I can achieve many new ideas by learning and being patient.\

Do you think creativity is something you’re born with, or something you’re taught?

I believe it’s both. You can have a natural flair for the arts and creativity, but I think it can be nurtured into something more. Some people cannot draw but they are good at putting a style together for themselves or a home and learning about how to put certain aesthetics together. I do believe you are born with a taste level and a certain level of ‘perfection’ though. That can vary so much — different people enjoy different levels of taste. A Basquiat is so different from a James Turrell with different audiences, but both still command a high level of respect.

What’s the last dream you had?

I can’t remember my last dream, but I did have a nightmare the other night. I have a sculpture piece called ‘Re-occurring Nightmare,’ so I do suffer from those a lot.

One hundred years from now, what do you hope people write about your work?

That’s a question I haven’t ever thought about… I would hope it stands the test of time and triggers provoking questions.

Follow @hollysilius on Creatively.

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