Santo Andre originates from a sentimental and recently rediscovered family artifact from Chile—a small lead figure of Saint (or Fray) Andre, the patron of the poor. This object has been in my family for an estimated four generations. Santo Andre is honoured in Recoleta, Santiago, where a small museum and shrine house his remains.
I am drawn to this figure, perhaps out of nostalgia and a desire to reconnect with my culture and family history. At the same time, I am intrigued by Fray Andre’s history and his role in folklore, politics, religion, and collective memory.

The original figure is cast in lead, a soft, dark, and dense metal with toxic properties. Lead’s low melting point made it a practical yet inexpensive casting material. I find its materiality compelling, particularly in relation to my practice, which often incorporates leaded cast crystal.

This work also explores themes of mass production and modern technologies. The original figure was 3D scanned and printed in PLA to create the master mold. The scan captured every small indent and imperfection in the soft metal, resulting in a noisy print. While I considered refining these flaws, I chose to preserve most of the surface details, selectively restoring lost features on some of the figurines, such as the nose, hands, and the faintly discernible rosary on his belt.