Statue Geocaching Project
Role: Website Creator, Sculptor, Social Media Manager, and Writer
Responsibility: Product Design, Branding, and E-commerce
Client: Dhardōs
About the Project
Dhardōs is a company that sells concrete statues and other handmade collectibles. It is also a name given to various projects that incorporate the statues like an Instagram page. “Dhardōs” is a made-up word by combining Dharma and dolls. The main purpose of the company is to inspire mindfulness through the products sold or the social media posts.
My Role
In the beginning, I was only creating concrete copies of statues that I sculpted out of clay. I then placed them in remote locations during my travels and captured photographs of the statue in its location and the surrounding environment. I documented the photos on a Dhardōs Instagram page and wrote a short poem that was inspired by the location it was placed.
Logo Creation
The Dhardōs icon is an ensō Zen circle with a macron that is styled like the ensō. An ensō symbolizes exactly what Dhardōs is trying to communicate to its followers. The pursuit of enlightenment and mindfulness. An ensō styled macron was added so that the icon can be inserted into the Dhardōs logo. A macron was originally added to the “o” for phonetic reasons.
Statue Construction
Both statues are modeled off the Dōsojin and Jizō Japanese statues. They were sculpted in clay, made into a silicone mold, and cast into concrete. Once the concrete has hardened, each statue is weathered using a varnishing technique. Finally, the Instagram handle and custom serial number is added to the bottom of every statue.
Clay Sculpture
Concrete Casting
Weathering
Vinyl Labeling
Photography of Statues
After placing a statue, I capture photos of them in their new home. I did my best to capture them in a way that made them feel present and alive. And I placed them in spots containing features that best defined the location.
Photography of Locations
Along with capturing the statues, I also take many photos of the surrounding area. I imagine the imagery I capture is what the statues are taking in as they observe their surroundings.
Instagram Page
Since Instagram prioritizes imagery, I thought it would be the perfect platform to document every statue placement. The Instagram posts are accompanied by poetry text that is inspired by the location the statue is left. Visit the Instagram page.
