Laurence Bonnel

Born in 1976 in Paris, Laurence Bonnel discovered the art of sculpture in 1998, through her Art History and Literature courses that revolved around the figure of the artist.

The human figure plays an essential role in the works of Laurence Bonnel. She creates in particular, architectural silhouettes, almost primitive, which emanate a grand presence. The motif of the human, that of couples and that of the crowd, is recurrent and central in her imagination, and is purified with the formal stylization that immediately evokes the art of Giacometti, or the Cubist bodies of Zadkine.

‘‘A presence, in the absence. Solitude is the basis of Laurence Bonnel’s reflection, echoing on the dehumanized human, diverted from the other.

The Silhouettes seem anchored in the face of the weight of forgetfulness and the passing of time. They are incapable of abstracting from a given environment, yet they soar towards the sky : Isolate, Confidence, Man on a Quest...‘‘

“I have always been fascinated by the “know-how”. I opened a gallery in which I expose art furniture and works with a common characteristic: the excellence of realization. The discovery of the Daum workshops was part of my passion toward the arts and crafts. This particular relationship with the biggest artists of its time for more than a century has been a part of Daum, well before many other luxury brands, creating a very strong link with Art.

For me, the crystal remains a magical and mysterious matter. During the visit to the Daum workshops, I realized that the work is quite similar to that of the bronze foundry, even though the material is quite the opposite: fragile and unpredictable. Each sculpture, however reproducible, takes life differently, and becomes unique. Thanks to the know-how of Daum, the crystal gives a new meaning, a particular emotion, to my work.”

Laurence Bonnel