Rough welded seams. Rusted metal against contrasting stainless steel. Astian Rey works in an aesthetic of brutalism — a visual language built on honesty, on refusing to idealize, where every crack in the metal stands as a sign of resilience rather than a flaw.
Astian Rey is a contemporary Ukrainian sculptor, artist, composer and multi-instrumentalist, born in Kyiv in 1987. His work is defined by a distinctive industrial style: rough welded seams, rusted metal and contrasting elements of stainless steel, an aesthetic of brutalism that symbolizes honesty, a refusal of idealization, and inner human transformation.
In his hands, metal becomes a living metaphor for the processes of life: cracks and seams turn into signs of spiritual resilience and emotional depth. His work brings human figuration together with abstract form, opening a dramatic space for inner searching. His sculptures are held in private collections across Ukraine, the United States and Europe.
Much of his current work is monumental sculpture, installed in notable locations in Kyiv and beyond. Through an ongoing collaboration with Tuzov Gallery and gallerist Vlad Tuzov, his work has taken part in events including ART KYIV and other exhibition projects. One of his largest pieces to date, NIKA, is a 3.5-metre stainless steel sculpture that can currently be seen in the center of Kyiv, near the Eleven Mirrors hotel.
Among his most recent works is the outdoor diptych I AM THE LIGHT: male and female figures, each 2.7 metres tall, with shining solar discs symbolizing a person who can find inner strength regardless of circumstances — someone who can ignite light from within and share it with everyone around them. The sculptures are currently on view at the central entrance of the D.Hub.Art shopping center "Domosfera," having previously been shown at ART KYIV 2026 and at the Equides Club location. His next large-scale work, QUEEN OF THE NIGHT, can be seen at the Tsarskyi residential complex.
"A sword has always been a deeply sacred symbol — an object a person's life could sometimes depend on."
Rey is also, for the fifth year running, the creator of original metal award statuettes for TRAVEL to ART, an American art magazine published in Miami and New York, whose editorial team hosts award ceremonies for prominent figures in culture — statuettes that travel from Ukraine to the United States to find their winners. He is currently featured as a subject in a large-scale media project about collaboration between big business and artists, creating original metal sculptures with international metallurgical company ArcelorMittal Kryvyi Rih, a project that will take the form of a YouTube show.
A new direction he is beginning to explore is the creation of original metal swords — drawn to the aesthetics of the medieval era, and to the sword as a deeply sacred symbol and object a person's life could once depend on. He wants to reinterpret the historical context of weapon-making and bring it into conscious dialogue with the present; for now, it remains a small announcement of what's to come.
Music and poetry are an inseparable part of his practice. He has played various instruments for many years, and two years ago created his own music project, Codex Reptilius, where he is gradually recording and releasing new compositions in Heavy Metal and Ambient styles. For Rey, music is one facet of a single overarching concept — a continuation of his metal sculptures — and he places importance on personally creating and recording every musical part and handling the sound engineering himself.
He is also developing brand ambassadorship and collaborations with manufacturers of metalworking and welding tools and equipment. Working in his studio, he experiments extensively with electric welding techniques and textures created with various power tools, and is interested in current technology in the field. He films his working process and shares his experience of unconventional techniques, including reviews of the equipment he works with — among them a collaboration with international power tool brand Einhell, alongside collaborations with several welding equipment brands. For manufacturers, the format in which he shows how a given tool is used to create an original sculpture is a distinctive and exclusive one, and he enjoys the chance to keep testing new tools that open up further technical possibilities.
More of his work can be found at astianrey.com and on Instagram @astian_rey. His sculpture work is also documented on YouTube at @astianrey, and his music project Codex Reptilius at @codex_reptilius.