Israel-based artist Nirit Levav has found a way to create beautiful art an recycle metal, at the same time. She uses discarded bicycle chains to create realistic sculptures of man’s best friend.

Nirit Levav Packer graduated from the Parsons School of Design, in New York City, with a degree in fashion design. She built a career for herself, specializing in bridal gowns, but after years of working in the fashion industry, Nirit realized she couldn’t satisfied her artistic urge to create solely as a designer. so she started broadening her education by studying iron sculpting, pottery, jewelry and ceramics. Although her newly acquired skills helped develop as an artist, it was at her father’s theater sets workshops that she most of her training, including welding, metal cutting and experimenting with various materials and substances. The time spent in her father’s workshop also inspired her love for recycling, as nothing was ever thrown away there and everything could be used to create something new.

Nirit’s earliest work emphasize her ability to make art from a seemingly endless array of materials, from metals rails, nails and keys, to light bulbs, clothespins, acorns and even plain gravel. But one particular experience lead to her using a single material for her art: one day, while visiting a bike shop in search for junk to use for her artworks, she received a box full of bicycle chains. They proved so versatile that Levav decided to use them exclusively for her “HOW!WoW!” series of dog sculptures. She’s been making regular rounds at bike shops and motor garages looking for discarded chains that would normally be thrown away. She uses them to create incredibly detailed life-size sculptures of her favorite animal, the dog. So far she has created a Rottweiler, a collection of greyhounds, poodles, a cocker spaniel and lots of other canine races.

Nirit Levav’s bicycle chain dogs sell for thousands of euros.

via Inhabitat