American sculptor Michael Alfano has been sculpting for over fifteen years. A native of New York, he now lives and works in Hopkinton, Massachusetts. His major influences are Salvador Dali, Jo Davidson, and Jean-Antoine Houdon, as well as Buddhist, Taoist, Sufi and other eastern philosophy and literature. He first studied at the Art Students League of New York, with an emphasis on life-size sculpture from the model. His formal education continued at Boston University and was augmented by internships with several prominent sculptors.

People try to board a goverment bus during the second day of a suspension of public transport services in Apopa, El Salvador July 28, 2015. Violent gangs in El Salvador ordered bus drivers to strike on Monday in a conflict that has killed six people and left thousands of commuters stranded on the streets of the Central American capital, police and bus company officials said. (Photo by Jose Cabezas/Reuters)

Videographer Jay Baron, from Utah, spends up to nine hours cooking super small dishes and serving them up to his YouTube audience. The tiny portions feature cuisine from all over the world, from ultra-American apple pie to Japanese ramen. The 22-year-old confines himself to cooking in a 2ft by 2ft box, so the only heat he can use comes from a tea light. Here: Jay cooks the ingredients of the tiny spaghetti on the tiny stove. (Photo by Jay Baron/Caters News)

Inmates are seen at the transgender gallery in La Joya prison on the outskirts of Panama City, Panama February 3, 2016. Inmates of La Joya prison on the outskirts of Panama City are housed in makeshift cells amid heavy overcrowding, living in grimy conditions and with limited medical attention. Many prisoners in the Central American nation languish for years without being sentenced. (Photo by Carlos Jasso/Reuters)

American singer Janelle Monae poses during a photocall before Chanel Fall/Winter 2020/21 women's ready-to-wear collection show during Paris Fashion Week in Paris, France, March 3, 2020. (Photo by Piroschka van de Wouw/Reuters)

A guest poses for photographs at the infinity pool of the newly-inaugurated Dolce Hanoi Golden Lake hotel, the world's first gold-plated hotel, in Hanoi on July 2, 2020. It even has a gold-plated infinity pool on the roof. The 400-room, 25-storey property will operate under the American Wyndham Hotels brand. Prices start at $300 a night for rooms, or there are apartments to rent costing from $6400 per square metre. (Photo by Manan Vatsyayana/AFP Photo)

Winner of the GWFF Best Feature Award Belarusian-American actress Dasha Nekrasova (L) and U.S. writer and editor Madeline Quinn pose at the 71st Berlinale International Film Festival ahead the awarding ceremony during the “Berlinale Summer Special” film festival in Berlin, Germany on June 13, 2021. (Photo by Tobias Schwarz/Pool via Reuters)

American rapper and songwriter Lil' Kim performs as she presents a creation from The Blonds Autumn/Winter 2019 collection during New York Fashion Week in New York, U.S. on February 12, 2019. (Photo by Andrew Kelly/Reuters)