Denis Prasolov ‘Sam’

‘Sam’ is a sculpture from Prasolov’s series ‘First Crew’. This work is dedicated to dogs used in space exploration in the Soviet Union during the 1950-60s. Overall 42 rockets with dogs were launched, however most of these animals didn’t survive aboard.

Denis Prasolov (1973) is a sculptor and restorer based in St Petersburg. He has created several urban monuments in Russian cities and in 2000 together with sculptor Pavel Ignatyev founded the creative collective ‘Masterskaja #7’. The collective embarks on monumental works of art and restores cultural heritage monuments. In his small form sculpture, Denis Prasolov focuses predominantly on the depiction of the animal world, illustrating various mythological, historical and literary narratives, whilst also commenting on different biological processes and the scientific view of natural phenomena. Denis Prasolov combines fictitious stylisations with the language of natural forms, seeking inspiration from the sculptural traditions of the 18-19 century.