Sculptor creates by fire and spent matches

A bright spark artist has come up with incredible sculptures made from spent matches - and he doesn't even smoke.

IT specialist Stanislav Aristov began making the beautiful artwork to satisfy a burning desire to create something beautiful.

Since then the 28-year-old has gone on to fashion some amazing sculptures from a smokey butterfly to a burning heart.

The part-time artist - who despite his talent is so far yet to exhibit - discovered the idea after he entered a photo competition in Russia.

Unable to come up with an idea Stanislav struck a match before noticing the incredible patterns formed in the carbon of the used wood - and so match art was born.
 

Russian Stanislav, from Yekaterinburg, central Russia, has now become a sensation in his mother country and wants to come to the UK soon.

He said: 'I guess the funny thing is, I don't even smoke.

'My first match was born or maybe burnt by chance at a monthly photo contest just as something I wanted to try.

'It was while I was watching the match trying to think of something that I began to think of how it represents life.
 

'There is burnt for the past, the smoke of memories left and the untouched part of the match the future. The fire is the life.

'Matches of course are quite a usual object but it turned out can be presented in a very unusual ways

'Fire as well as smoke sometimes swirls in a very freakish forms, which bring very interesting associations.

'About three years ago I did an unusual sequence with lamps and then I first understood that usual things can be presented in a very unusual form.

'Sadly I have had no exhibitions yet, I have almost no connections in photographic circles and my works are represented only on the Internet.