Gravity, Identity & Scale: Surreal Sculptures by Fabien Mérelle

French artist Fabien Mérelle creates surreal sculptures that place the human body into impossible situations. His figures strain under the weight of massive elephants, merge with trees, or appear pinned to the ground by invisible forces. Rendered at life scale and with striking realism, these works feel physically convincing even as they bend logic, gravity and proportion.

Fabien works across drawing and sculpture, often using his own body as a recurring subject. In the sculptural pieces, flesh becomes bark, limbs double as supports, and humans take on the role of burdened creatures rather than masters of their environment.

Despite their surreal setups, the sculptures are grounded in careful craft and restraint. Fabien avoids spectacle for its own sake, instead letting scale, weight and stillness carry the tension. Myth, instinct and personal anxiety surface through these hybrid forms, offering an alternate reality that feels unsettling precisely because it remains so believable.

To see more of Fabien Mérelle’s intriguing creations, visit his website.

More art on the grid via Instagram