The Art of Wire Mesh: A New Generation of Sculpture

Working with wire mesh is not easy. It cuts, it bends the wrong way, it doesn’t always do what you want,  but that’s why I love it. It challenges me, and from that challenge, something new is born.

I believe sculpture today should be more than clay, more than glass, more than what has already been done for centuries. Art should be open to all materials, anything that can hold a shape, carry a form, or tell a story. For me, that material is wire mesh.

The wire mesh is the foundation. I shape it by hand, twisting, bending, and molding until I see the figure come alive, maybe a wing, a tail, or an abstract shape that only exists in my imagination. Once the base is ready, I begin the slow process of building. I add paste in thin layers, let it dry, then add more. Sometimes two, three, or even four rounds until the form is strong and has depth. Each layer is a step of patience, like watching something grow.

When the structure is ready, I bring in other materials: resin to seal and protect, acrylics to give color and shine, sometimes metallics or stones to add strength and meaning. Together, these materials transform the wire mesh into a finished sculpture, no longer just wires and paste, but something alive, powerful, and full of wonder.

This is what I love: turning something rough and ordinary into something beautiful. To me, wire mesh is not just a material; it is the start of a new kind of art.

Thank you,

Corina Manno