Small can be big

SMALL CAN BE BIG

Aself taught sculptor from Rio de Janeiro; a woman who suffered through a difficult relationship tormented by domestic violence; a single mom to her son; a person who needed a break and decided to visit family in Canada. This is where our story of Juliana LePine begins.

Juliana decided to stay in Canada and ten years ago, she tied the knot—a shotgun wedding. To celebrate their special day, she made a humorous cake topper of themselves that received many accolades from the guests—this was the start of a new life in all senses. Her family has expanded to include a wonderful husband and two daughters, and her passion for figure sculpting, which was inspired by her mother, has become a fruitful career. The cake toppers led to sculpting celebrities and the miniature phenomenon was well received gaining her international recognition. She has a loyal fan base of more than 800K followers and many of her videos have gone viral—Juliana's progress video which shows her creating a mini Freddie Mercury from polymer clay, went viral overnight reaching more than 86 million views. Then came Dracula, Doc. Emmett Brown, Slash, Axl Rose, Drake, Madonna, Bob Marley, Lady Gaga, and caricatures of Angelina Jolie, Brad Pitt, Jennifer Aniston, Amy Winehouse, and others not to mention commissions.

Her love for detail and the need to help other women overcome and heal their past, brought her to sculpt a collection dedicated to victims of domestic violence. Inspired by CADVA, a non-for-profit organization, she created sculptures that illustrate the power and voice of different women. She recently filmed a documentary and will have an exhibition very soon.

A new collection titled “Zero Waste” is currently under development. Made with recycled plastic and other materials, this collection portrays her view of life. I had the privilege of catching a sneak preview of “Zero Waste” for Stella’s Studio (CamoesTV. com, episode 23) and was very impressed with the work. I’m looking forward to her next big project because when it comes to Juliana’s art, it's about the little things.

TO LEARN HOW TO SCULPT LIKE JULIANA, JOIN HER LIVE STREAM CLASS ON YOUTUBE.

JULIANALEPINE.COM

WORDS: STELLA JURGEN

PHOTOS: STELLA JURGEN & JULIANA LEPINE