Laury Dizengremel

Sculpture is my passion. I believe sculpture is one of the most lively and sensuous art forms extant. Breathing life into inanimate material, communicating to an audience, touching the viewers via a three dimensional creation are first and foremost in my mind when I tackle any new work. My range encompasses both purely conceptual / installation as well as figurative / narrative sculpture. Bronze and cast glass have long been my favourite media but cement is also a very dynamic material. Working large-scale gives me the greatest challenges and satisfaction as the work is intended for public display and public enjoyment. Having worked these past few years on many international projects (monumental sculptures in China, Vietnam, Ireland, etc.), I find that involvement in creative events alongside other international artists is sheer fun and rewarding: most of us find we're on the same aesthetic wavelength! Best of all is making or showing a work for a truly worthwhile cause, such as for example, to benefit 'Future Hope' (a literacy program in Calcutta), a United Nations Development Programme like 'Arte Para Todos = Art for All' (which I contributed to in Honduras in the summer of 2004), For Dementia' (creating their heir annual award, given every year in the House of Lords to an exemplary care-giver) or 'Demelza'' (donating to the auction which benefits families of terminally ill children). In our contemporary society, sculpture portraits, i.e. modelled or sculpted busts, are not very commonly commissioned, yet those which were created in years gone by provide us with a fantastic sense of history whether the faces portrayed were famous or not. Full figure portraits are also quite a rarity compared with other forms of public art. It is my intention to do for sculpted portraits / busts what Riverdance achieved for Irish dance: remove from the public eye the perception that the art belongs to past generations only, remove the dusty old wraps and give it a fresh, contemporary feel while respecting its timeless values. Creating celebrity busts or figures of famous sporting or historic heroes is merely one of the means to achieve this end. I enjoy just as much creating the sculpture portrait of the man or woman next door. Recently I have been exploring the role of artists in society through a series entitled "Artists of the Silk Road" - and I am intent on continuing to explore the role of artists in society as a theme for my personal work. Besides creating busts and figures, I most enjoy designing and creating monumental sculptures for public display. It is extremely satisfying to feel I may be making a small contribution in this manner to the aesthetics of our world!