South was three years old, his parents noticed he was a little late to begin speaking and fussier than most children at restaurants. While on vacation, they were determined to have at least one peaceful, sit-down dinner. As expected, South began melting down at the table—until the waitress approached and asked, “Does he want some pizza dough?” South immediately began working with the dough, and for the first time, his family enjoyed a quiet meal at a restaurant. From that fateful moment, sculpting became South’s passion.

Since then, he has spent countless hours creating thousands of small clay figures in his self-proclaimed “laboratory”—his family’s dining room—sculpting everything from cartoon characters to sports mascots and pop culture icons. Discover South’s remarkable journey and creative world.