Matteo Pugliese was born in Milan in 1969. In 1978 his family moved to Sardinia and lived there for the next 12 years. During this time he developed a strong love for drawing and sculpture and practiced without formal education. After finishing his secondary school studies in classics in Cagliari, he returned to Milan to attend university. In 1995 he was awarded his degree in modern literature at the University of Milan with a graduation thesis on art criticism.

Pottery heads by artist Johan Thunell are displayed at The Affordable Art Fair on March 15, 2012 in London, England. 120 galleries are displaying works costing from £40 – £4000. Photography, paintings, prints and sculptures are on sale from 15–18th March 2012. (Photo by Peter Macdiarmid/Getty Images)

Artist Paolo Curcio craves tiny bas-relief sculptures into coins – a traditional art form known as the hobo nickel. Curcio’s coins feature intricately detailed hobos, skulls and a variety of pop culture characters. Plastic castings of his works are available online.

Central to The Capture Site on the R103 in the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands – where Nelson Mandela was arrested in 1963 – is a sculptural installation by Johannesburg artist Marco Cianfanelli. When viewed from a distance, the 50 painted laser-cut steel columns form the image of Madiba’s face. Click on the image below for more on The Capture Site.

Two rare ceramic heads from a series by Japanese ceramicist Takahiro Kondo are displayed at the “Masterpiece London” Auction on June 29, 2011 in London, England. The second “Masterpieces London” sale is currently underway at The Royal Hospital Chelsea, showcasing fine and decorative arts, jewellery, classic cars, fine wines and sculpture from over 30 dealers. The event takes place from June 30 – July 5, 2011. (Photo by Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)

Visitors attend a press preview of the 2012 Whitney Biennial at the Whitney Museum of American Art on February 27, 2012 in New York City. The contemporary art exhibition includes sculpture, photography, painting, installations, dance, theater, film and music and runs from March 1 through May 27. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)

A Japanese artist is making a name for himself by creating animal sculptures out of balloons. Masayoshi Matsumoto, 29, has thus far created a wide range of intricate figures from the animal kingdom. Here: Blobfish by Masayoshi Matsumoto. (Photo by Masayoshi Matsumoto/Caters News Agency)