Gabriel George

Voyager of the Future

This bronze sculpture imagines a futuristic journey to Mars, inspired by the arid Atacama Desert—Earth’s closest twin to the Martian landscape. It features an astronaut riding a camel, symbolizing endurance and survival in extreme conditions. With polished gold details and space gear, the piece blends science fiction with natural resilience, reflecting on how humans might adapt to life beyond Earth.

“Chile’s Atacama Desert is one of the driest places on Earth. It’s so dry that it can go decades or even centuries without rain. This harsh landscape closely resembles the surface of Mars. Thinking about the future, I often imagine Mars becoming the next Earth. These thoughts inspired me to create a sculpture that represents a journey into the unknown.When I think about survival in extreme conditions, I’m reminded of camels—animals that can live 10–15 days in the desert without food or water by using fat stored in their humps. Their ability to endure long distances connects to how humans might survive on Mars and store energy. This led to the idea of an astronaut riding a camel, symbolizing a search for a planet where humans could live. The sculpture is made of bronze, and the astronaut’s mask is polished to resemble the gold visor used in real space helmets, which protects from solar glare. Both the astronaut and camel wear space suits and carry oxygen tanks and supplies. The artwork blends futuristic imagination with elements from the present and past, reflecting our curiosity, resilience, and the unknown future of human life in space.”