Artwork description: The Deer and the Reflection reinterprets Aesop’s fable The Deer, the Spring, and the Lion through the language of sculpture. The work does not depict the story’s conclusion, but rather the moment just before it—when the deer gazes at its reflection in the water and is captivated by its antlers, unaware that it is precisely those antlers that will ultimately lead it to its fate.
The piece transforms that moment of introspection into a reflection on identity, appearance, and the way we value our own qualities. The animal’s expression—restrained and ambiguous—invites the viewer to complete the narrative and establish a connection with personal experiences related to insecurity, pride, or self-perception.
Glass plays an essential role in this interpretation. Its transparency, its ability to reflect light, and its apparent fragility evoke the water of the spring and transform the reflection into both a physical and symbolic element.
Rather than illustrating a fable, The Deer and the Reflection offers a visual experience that invites us to question the relationship between the image we project and what truly sustains us.
Artwork description long: The Deer and the Reflection stems from an interest in translating the symbolic structure of fables into the language of glass sculpture. Fables use animals to explore the human condition, condensing universal conflicts into short stories that remain recognizable centuries after their creation. This work draws on that tradition to explore how a story can be transformed into a three-dimensional image capable of suggesting a narrative without needing to represent it literally. The piece takes as its reference point Aesop's fable The Deer, the Spring, and the Lion. In it, a deer stops to drink at a spring and contemplates its reflection in the water. It is proud of its antlers but despises the fragile appearance of its legs. Shortly afterward, it is pursued by a lion. Thanks to its legs, it manages to escape for much of the chase, but ultimately its antlers become trapped in the branches of the forest. In the moment before its death, it understands that what it admired was precisely what has condemned it. The power of this story lies in its exploration of profoundly human themes: the construction of identity, insecurity, appearance, self-esteem, and the tendency to value what is visible more than what truly sustains us. The moral transcends the context of the fable to become a timely reflection on how we perceive ourselves. Instead of depicting the entire narrative sequence, the sculpture focuses on the moment the deer observes its reflection. This instant contains the origin of the conflict and functions as a point of temporal suspension. The viewer does not witness the chase or the resolution, but both remain latent. The work invites us to mentally reconstruct the story from a single scene. The animal's expression avoids any overly descriptive gesture. It is neither a proud nor a fearful deer, but rather a figure immersed in a moment of introspection. This ambiguity allows the piece to remain open to multiple interpretations. Those familiar with the fable will recognize the narrative conflict; those unfamiliar with it can interpret the scene from their own experience. Glass is the element that articulates the meaning of the work. Its transparency establishes a direct dialogue with the spring water, while its capacity to reflect light transforms the act of looking into a physical experience. Reflection ceases to be merely a narrative device, becoming a perceptual phenomenon that also engages the viewer. Depending on the viewing position, the forms change, new transparencies appear, and the reflections modify the perception of volume. This variable condition makes glass much more than a sculptural material. The work changes with the light and with the movement of the observer, reminding us that all perception is conditioned by the point of view. Just as the deer misinterprets its own image, we too construct our identity from partial and unstable reflections. The inherent fragility of glass adds another symbolic dimension. Although it may visually convey lightness and delicacy, it also possesses great structural strength. This duality resonates with the contradiction present in the fable: that which appears strong turns out to be vulnerable, while that which seemed weak is what truly allows survival. The Deer and the Reflection does not aim to illustrate a classic text, but rather to open a space for reflection through matter, light, and perception. The narrative remains present, but transformed into a visual experience where the viewer completes the story from their own perspective. The work proposes a contemporary reading of an ancient story, demonstrating that the conflicts posed by fables remain relevant. In a society marked by the constant construction of image and public exposure, the deer's gesture before its reflection acquires a renewed meaning. The question is no longer simply what we see when we look at ourselves, but to what extent that image conditions our decisions. Through the glass, the reflection ceases to be a mere iconographic motif and becomes the conceptual axis of the piece. Transparency, light, and fragility are not merely material qualities, but narrative tools that transform the sculpture into a dynamic experience. Each observer discovers a different work depending on their position, just as each reading of the fable reveals new meanings. Thus, The Deer and the Reflection proposes a contemporary reinterpretation of a classic tale, using the expressive possibilities of glass to transform a familiar story into an open reflection on identity, perception, and distance.
Artwork description long: The Deer and the Reflection stems from an interest in translating the symbolic structure of fables into the language of glass sculpture. Fables use animals to explore the human condition, condensing universal conflicts into short stories that remain recognizable centuries after their creation. This work draws on that tradition to explore how a story can be transformed into a three-dimensional image capable of suggesting a narrative without needing to represent it literally. The piece takes as its reference point Aesop's fable The Deer, the Spring, and the Lion. In it, a deer stops to drink at a spring and contemplates its reflection in the water. It is proud of its antlers but despises the fragile appearance of its legs. Shortly afterward, it is pursued by a lion. Thanks to its legs, it manages to escape for much of the chase, but ultimately its antlers become trapped in the branches of the forest. In the moment before its death, it understands that what it admired was precisely what has condemned it. The power of this story lies in its exploration of profoundly human themes: the construction of identity, insecurity, appearance, self-esteem, and the tendency to value what is visible more than what truly sustains us. The moral transcends the context of the fable to become a timely reflection on how we perceive ourselves. Instead of depicting the entire narrative sequence, the sculpture focuses on the moment the deer observes its reflection. This instant contains the origin of the conflict and functions as a point of temporal suspension. The viewer does not witness the chase or the resolution, but both remain latent. The work invites us to mentally reconstruct the story from a single scene. The animal's expression avoids any overly descriptive gesture. It is neither a proud nor a fearful deer, but rather a figure immersed in a moment of introspection. This ambiguity allows the piece to remain open to multiple interpretations. Those familiar with the fable will recognize the narrative conflict; those unfamiliar with it can interpret the scene from their own experience. Glass is the element that articulates the meaning of the work. Its transparency establishes a direct dialogue with the spring water, while its capacity to reflect light transforms the act of looking into a physical experience. Reflection ceases to be merely a narrative device, becoming a perceptual phenomenon that also engages the viewer. Depending on the viewing position, the forms change, new transparencies appear, and the reflections modify the perception of volume. This variable condition makes glass much more than a sculptural material. The work changes with the light and with the movement of the observer, reminding us that all perception is conditioned by the point of view. Just as the deer misinterprets its own image, we too construct our identity from partial and unstable reflections. The inherent fragility of glass adds another symbolic dimension. Although it may visually convey lightness and delicacy, it also possesses great structural strength. This duality resonates with the contradiction present in the fable: that which appears strong turns out to be vulnerable, while that which seemed weak is what truly allows survival. The Deer and the Reflection does not aim to illustrate a classic text, but rather to open a space for reflection through matter, light, and perception. The narrative remains present, but transformed into a visual experience where the viewer completes the story from their own perspective. The work proposes a contemporary reading of an ancient story, demonstrating that the conflicts posed by fables remain relevant. In a society marked by the constant construction of image and public exposure, the deer's gesture before its reflection acquires a renewed meaning. The question is no longer simply what we see when we look at ourselves, but to what extent that image conditions our decisions. Through the glass, the reflection ceases to be a mere iconographic motif and becomes the conceptual axis of the piece. Transparency, light, and fragility are not merely material qualities, but narrative tools that transform the sculpture into a dynamic experience. Each observer discovers a different work depending on their position, just as each reading of the fable reveals new meanings. Thus, The Deer and the Reflection proposes a contemporary reinterpretation of a classic tale, using the expressive possibilities of glass to transform a familiar story into an open reflection on identity, perception, and distance.