The Unyielding Grip

Lisbon-based sculptor Francisco Figueiredo Lopes confronts the relentless cycles of creation, exhaustion, and industrial tension in his monumental 2025 work, Make it Burn then Hold. A metallic claw held in perpetual strain, the sculpture embodies the paradoxes of contemporary existence, inviting viewers to confront the forces—both material and societal—that shape our world.

The Artist and His Vision

Born in Lisbon in 1998, Lopes has quickly established himself as a significant voice in contemporary sculpture. His practice explores the delicate balance between creation and destruction, structure and collapse, using industrial processes alongside meticulous manual interventions. Each work, inviting viewers into a dialogue about the material and conceptual forces that govern existence. In Make it Burn then Hold, Lopes channels this tension into a monumental form: a body where restraint and aggression coexist, a metallic meditation on the friction underlying life itself.

Materiality in Motion

Constructed from 8 mm carbon steel rods, steel springs, and chains, and finished with PU K2 varnish and chrome enamel, the sculpture embodies both strength and vulnerability. Welding with 6013 electrodes fuses disparate elements into a unified yet tensioned whole. Its monumental dimensions (250 × 308 × 296 cm) amplify the intricacies of its construction, while the claw-like splayed elements evoke a predatory grip. The two springs (70 x 24 x 30 cm), (50 x 36 x 23 cm) serve as visual and functional symbols of potential energy, rendering the tension and strain at the heart of Lopes’ vision tangible. Industrial finishes reinforce the sculpture’s presence without softening its raw, brutalist elegance.

Cycles of Extraction and Societal Commentary

Beyond its physicality, Make it Burn then Hold engages with broader systems of extraction, labor, and production. The steel—mined, forged, and transformed—embodies the interdependence of resource extraction and industrial creation. Its aggressive stance mirrors the exhausting nature of these cycles, prompting reflection on the environmental and human costs embedded in contemporary objects. Lopes’ work transforms industrial material into a metaphor for societal strain, making the sculpture both a physical and conceptual experience.

Confronting Violence

By abstracting industrial components into a claw-like form, Lopes challenges their intended function, transforming utilitarian materials into symbols of existential and societal forces. The sculpture confronts the aestheticization of violence: its dark steel, angular forms, and unyielding tension demand contemplation. With its scale and robust materials, the work radiates precarious energy, compelling viewers to reckon with the raw forces of violence and conflict that are intensifying, permeating, and shaping our lives.

The Paradox of Creation

At its core, Make it burn then hold embodies Lopes’s axiom: “Nothing is built without something being undone.” The network of rods and chains forms a cohesive, grounded structure, while the separately integrated springs evoke tension and interdependence, suggesting a delicate balance between construction and deconstruction. Growth and progress coexist with potential collapse; restraint and aggression are inseparable. In steel, Lopes gives physical form to the paradoxes of existence, capturing the fragile balance between accumulation and exhaustion.

A Landmark in Contemporary Sculpture

Make it Burn then Hold is both object and inquiry, navigating the space between industrial critique and existential meditation. For collectors and institutions, it represents a significant acquisition: visually arresting, technically masterful, and philosophically resonant. In steel, Lopes has forged a work that confronts paradox, tension, and the cycles of our world—ensuring engagement and reflection for generations to come.

Explore the Francisco Figueiredo Lopes Collection