York Body Casting

York Body Casting is owned and run by Debi Bray – Menezes and takes its name from the beautiful city of York where it has its base. 

Debi specialises in the art of body casting (otherwise known as Lifecasting). This involves taking a cast of any body part and creating a three dimensional  sculpture  – most customers opt to have theirs in the form of wall hangings but Debi can accommodate other display forms such as freestanding or framed.

Debi trained with the lifecaster CJ Munn - the only UK artist to receive an International Lifecasting Award from the Association of Lifecasters International and whose work has featured at the Royal Horticultural Show Society`s Chelsea Flower Show in the Foreign and Colonial Show garden in 2009.  

The casting process takes place at Debi`s home based studio where a seaweed alginate is applied to the skin which allows all the detail of the skin and body shape to be captured. A Mother cast is then made using plaster bandages and a mould is then cast from this.

The lengths of time taken are dependent on which part of the body is to be cast. It takes only a few minutes for a hand clasp or a kiss and up to about 30 minutes for a torso.  The cast is then allowed to dry over a number of weeks before any finish is applied. 

There are a range of options available for customers when considering what finish they would like applied to their cast. For the classic Grecian – style they can be left as stone cast white. Aged metallic effects are also on offer in gold, pewter and copper. 

A Kiss Cast costs £25. Prices for a full upper torso with hands / arms / shoulders begin at £450.   Bespoke commissions are priced following a consultation.

Also on offer are home casting kits for the very popular 'Kiss Casts' - for a unique gift for a loved one. 

With easy to follow instructions the kits contain everything you need for creating your own kiss cast. All that is needed is the addition of water and your lips to create a truly unique gift.
 
Costing £19.50 and with enough materials included for three attempts, order yours now and it will be posted out for you ready to immortalise your 'perfect pout'

A quite unique option Debi offers as a finish is by way of collaboration with well-known airbrush artist Fiona Foster.  If you`re familiar with Acolyte Home & Gifts you`ll recognise the name as Fiona sells her artwork here with us (see `Air Art`). Between the two of them, Debi and Fiona can provide a bespoke sculpture which can be decorated with either a single motif or fully decorated with artwork of your choice.

As a gift experience this has to be amongst the best there is to offer. This is an ideal opportunity to have a completely unique and meaningful sculpture created. From a parent and child hand clasp through to a pregnancy bump, the pregnant torso or a pregnancy bump with hands. It`s a process which is non-invasive, safe and the result lasts for a life time - possibly a future family heirloom?

Once the sculpture is completed it will then be delivered by courier to your home.

To make enquiries or to arrange a booking click here to visit the York Body Casting website. 

Gift vouchers are also available. 

Debi lives in York with her family and their pets: a land snail and a collection of tropical fish. Originally from York, she spent a number of years travelling around the UK and abroad before returning to the city and settling down to establish York Body Casting.