Former UFC featherweight champ Conor McGregor turns 30 on July 14, and Lithuanian artist Edgar Askelovic created a life-size, hyperrealistic sculpture of McGregor to celebrate the occasion. Askelovic, also known by his Instagram handle, Aspencrow, worked with multiple materials, including marble and clay, to depict McGregor emerging from a block of stone.
The statue weighs in at around 100kg (220lbs) and is worth more than $58,000, according to Yahoo Sports.
There are three versions of the work, which was inspired by Classical and Renaissance-era art. Two will be displayed, then sold at London’s JD Malat Gallery, and the third will be gifted to McGregor.
“To create the piece, I looked back to antiquity, when athletes were immortalized in sculptures as gods,” Askelovic explained to the Evening Standard. “I combined some details from a Michelangelo statue with modern day graffiti to capture the present day’s warrior sensibilities.”
Askelovic has been sharing photos and videos of his work on the piece via Instagram, and it’s downright breathtaking to watch him capture the minute details in his sculptures. Check them out below, and follow Askelovic on Instagram at @aspencrow.
