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Stefano Colferai's addiction to plasticine conjures up a whole world of playful characters

Armed with "irony and plasticine", Stefano Colferai has a raw talent for bringing charming, whimsical and playful characters to life. Using a colourful palette of plasticine, he cuts and sculpts his 3D artworks from his studio in Milan to create illustrations and stop-motion loops that reflect the things he's interested in: everything from '90s hip-hop and trainers to food from all over the world.

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It wasn't always his medium of choice, however. Clay was his preferred material in the early days, as well as a little 2D digital art. But then he discovered the creative possibilities of plasticine: available in every colour imaginable and something that allowed him to "never get bored".

"You can play a lot with forms: stretching, mixing colours, twisting and making flat figures," he tells We Heart, "I find it hard to switch off my ideas, and modelling with my own hands catapults me into a dimension where I can become a child again. It’s a kind of magical experience, and that’s what I love most about it."

After pursuing a football career and "failing", the Milan-based artist decided to hang up his boots and embrace a more creative profession. Today, after getting attention from many wonderful self-initiated projects, he works for the likes of Nike, The New York Times and Swatch.

It's his loop gifs that make us smile the most. A dog chasing its tail. A poor man seemingly stuck in the sea, being circled by a shark. Even a lady setting light to her farts. Discover more at stefanocolferai.com.

Playful plasticine characters with googly eyes arranged among colourful fruits and vegetables including grapes, corn, peppers and pumpkins on a sandy studio surface
Playful red and green plasticine watermelon character with googly eyes, smiling mouth and black seed details, sitting on a wooden surface alongside other coloured clay pieces
Plasticine sushi set on a wooden board with nigiri, rolls, wasabi and soy sauce cups, with googly eyes and a pink mouth forming a playful face
Two animated characters stand on a snowy moon landscape gazing up at a giant flying pizza with a basil leaf, surrounded by stars and a distant cityscape
Colourful plasticine Nike Air Max trainer sculpture with googly eyes surrounded by small sculpted balls and craft materials on a wooden desk
Sculptured plasticine head with tan face, black beard, blue eyes and pink lips wearing a black hoodie, displayed on a wooden surface
Plasticine figure wearing glasses and white shirt painting a colourful abstract pattern on a wall, surrounded by confetti
Playful plasticine stack cake with googly eyes, white cream swirl, raspberries and blueberries, surrounded by loose berries and a white fork on a beige surface
Playful plasticine pineapple character with googly eyes and a smiling mouth, green leaves sprouting from its crown, sitting on a wooden desk
Plasticine sculpture of a stylised female figure with black hair, bold eyebrows, red lips and a red bikini top, wearing a small red flower in her hair
Plasticine character with orange head and blue shorts mid-leap in a messy bedroom scene, surrounded by scattered shoes, sports equipment and furniture.
Whimsical plasticine tomato character with googly eyes and a green leaf sitting atop a nest of coiled spaghetti on a white plate
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