Dutch Sculptor Magali Reus Turns Everyday Waste Into Oversized Art

Dutch sculptor Magali Reus creates oversized versions of everyday, often disposable objects, transforming items such as sardine tins and fishing lures into large-scale sculptural works.

Reus's studio is filled with sculptures in various stages of completion, including vast looming fish hook lures shaped to resemble uncanny cupcake cases or skeletal limbs. Her practice involves taking ordinary, disposable items — including pizza boxes and sardine tins — and recreating them at a scale far beyond their original size.

The artist has described her interest in imbuing disposable objects with a sense of autonomy and meaning, reflecting on what she has characterized as a world defined by extreme consumption and waste. By enlarging and reimagining discarded or mundane items, her work invites viewers to reconsider the objects that pass through daily life largely unnoticed.

Reus is currently finalising work for her show "Swimming By Night" at the Perimeter in London, with pieces for the exhibition still being completed and delivered to her studio.