Stasia Grishina's Sculptures Probe the Cost of Protection

Stasia Grishina, a UK-born artist based in Frankfurt, Germany, creates sculptures and installations that place the human figure in architectures built for animals. Working with found wood, discarded furniture, and aluminum, she explores how structures of care and control become indistinguishable. The dog is a recurring figure, not as symbol but as structural argument, inspired by a William Cowper poem about the cost of protection. Key works include 'Man on all fours' (2025), a suited figure inside a hand-built doghouse shown at Rundgang HfG in Offenbach; 'What matters is the Degree of Sincerity' (2024), dog-shaped figures from discarded cupboards on podiums; and 'Depend Upon Man II' (2024), aluminum panels with dog forms and candles at Fābula Gallery in Moscow. Grishina trained in stage design and sculpture at HfG Offenbach. Her practice has been exhibited across Germany, Russia, and Armenia, including solo show 'Depend upon Man' at Fābula Gallery (2024) and group exhibitions 'Niemandsland' (2025) and 'GUCK MAL DRÜBER NACH' (2025) in Offenbach. The work refuses to offer an exit, presenting conditions that are not temporary.