Matteo Mauro’s artistic journey and evolution has inspired moments of creation during good times and bad, 2025 marks the fifth year following the 2020 global pandemic, during the time in which the artist had created the no longer available “Dolce Metà” artwork, edition of 5 + artist proof. It now comes back from the studio archives, a prototype made in 2020 that led to that creation. We are referring to Sweet Half, cast in stainless steel.

Sweet Half, in the stunning shimmer of stainless steel casts a museal size sculpture, slightly larger than human scale, delves into the profound themes of dissociation, a poignant reflection forged in the isolation of the 2020 pandemic.

Sweet Half is apart of Matteo Mauro’s Self Portraits series, representing his visual essence of feeling, split from inside. The torso, elegantly divided, represents a severance from the familiar, disconnecting from the world, from each other, and crucially, from the self. Initially conceived during the height of global uncertainty, this sculpture brings these introspective reflections to the forefront, challenging the viewer to confront the often, unspoken feelings of fragmentation.

Its a symbolic choice to choose stainless steel as the medium, representing the strength and durability required to endure such turbulent times. Unlike its earlier versions, the stainless steel casting exudes a rough, almost indestructible quality, mirroring the human will to withstand emotional and societal upheavals. Sweet Half invites the audience to participate in this continuous dialogue that’s both intimate and universal. The sculpture stands not just as an artistic expression but as a public display of vulnerability in a critical and judgmental world.

This latest incarnation of Sweet Half is a reflective beacon, a unique piece, prototype, urging us to explore the more fragile corners of our psyche, the torso is a reminder of the artist’s journey through disassociation and resilience, a journey that is both personal and profoundly universal.