Part of Peter Parker's appeal is that he's an everyman - he's someone who's journey from outcast to superhero remains relatable to audiences, even decades later. Artist Hetain Patel decided to express his appreciation for the character with a gorgeous Spider-Suit, entirely covered in a sculpted thank you letter.


Patel's project is currently part of an exhibition he's running at the Chatterjee and Lal gallery in Mumbai, India, until the end of February. The sculpture is a fibreglass cast of Patel himself, sitting crouched in a relaxed pose akin to poses Spider-Man himself sits in most of the time, covered in a hand made Spider-Suit - at a distance, it just looks like a pretty neat statue of Spider-Man, but when you take a closer look at what's on the suit that makes it such a wonderful piece.


The texture of Spidey's suit is actually composed of molded words: the repeated words of a thank you letter to Parker from Patel himself, thanking the hero for inspiring him and noting that, by wearing a mask, anyone - Black, White, Asian, Indian, Man, Woman - could don it and become Spider-Man in turn:

Dear Peter Parker, There are a few things I'd like to thank you for. First and foremost thank you for making a mask to cover your face. Thank you for making a suit to cover every inch of your skin. Because of this, I too can be Spider-Man without having to be the Asian Spider-Man or the Indian Spider-Man.

It's an interesting and poignant point to raise about a Superhero's mask, and how covering that identity creates a blank canvas for people of all backgrounds to see themselves on. It's a beautiful way to express your appreciation for a character. You can watch a timelapse of Patel creating the suit for the project in the video below:

[TED via Comicbook.com]

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