OLIVIER DUHAMEL

Born 1957, France. A New Zealander since 1987, Duhamel is a respected figurative sculptor. He has acquired a masterful command of the figurative form. His laminated sculptures are held in many private and public collections, including the Wallace Arts Trust. Also, the artist has worked on contract for the studio of American sculptor Jeff Koons, NYC.

Duhamel strives to capture the beauty and the emotions he sees in his subjects of study. However his artist identity is constantly evolving. Olivier Duhamel has acquired a mastery of the human form through years of practice of life drawing. One aspect of his practice remains constant in his source of inspiration, the female nude. “I really like contemporary dance and wish that I could capture as much beauty and emotion with my sculptures that dancers can express with their body.”

His more recent wooden sculptures and exploration of digital media are compulsive viewing. People are often fascinated by their fluctuating lights or by the translucence of his acrylic works. It imbues a resolutely contemporary texture to his rather classical and academic shapes. The translucence of the acrylic lets light reflect the vitality and the dynamic of the pose.

Likewise, the dual tone of the wood pieces produces highlights that appears or wanes depending on the point of view. It changes the appearance and texture of the sculpture’s topography. The stiffness and strength of these materials are distinctively opposed to the softness and suppleness of the body. Yet, under the hands of the sculptor, the curves of the flesh and folds of skin are delicately suggested in a celebration of the beauty, energy and sensuality of these women.