The Riace figures are inspired by the 5th century BCE bronze sculptures that were rediscovered in the sea off the coast of the Riace region of Italy in 1972. Frink said ‘the original figures are very beautiful, but also very sinister, and that is what they are supposed to be’.

Frink had often used masks and goggles to conceal eyes and hide true expressions. She began experimenting with painting the faces of her figures in the early 1980s as a way of introducing colour and drawing our attention to their ambiguous features. These masks, she said later, are ‘a way of showing that their beauty in a sense hides what they are up to’.

An exhibition of Frink’s sculpture, prints and plaster models – Natural Connection – is on display at The Weston until 23 February 2025.

Courtesy The Frink Estate and Yorkshire Sculpture Park.