Laurence Bonnel (Born in 1976)
Born in 1976 in Paris, Laurence Bonnel started to draw and took courses in Art History at her early age. After studying literature at the Sorbonne from 1993 to 1997, she discovered sculpture in 1998, after her Art History and literature courses that revolved around the figure of the artist. The human figure plays a key role in the works of Laurence Bonnel. She creates in particular, architectural silhouettes, almost primitive, which emanates 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.
Laurence worked with several masters to learn different techniques: molding, direct cutting, welding, foundry, patina, etc. Her first exhibition was held in 2003 in Paris, then in Brussels. After exhibiting several sculptures at the Grand Palais in Paris in 2006, the Jane Griffiths Gallery in Val d’Isère and Marie-Laure de l’Ecotais in Paris has been promoting her work since 2008. In 2011, her sculptures were exhibited in Miami and San Diego. Her works are included in numerous private collections in France, Geneva, Gstaad, Rome, Milan, Madrid, Barcelona, London and New York.
The DATRIS Foundation for Contemporary Sculpture in Isle-sur-la-Sorgue has acquired a monumental sculpture from Laurence Bonnel in 2010. In 2012, her sculpture “Les Neuf Muses” was acquired by the King of Saudi Arabia. She has also created a 30 meters long installation at a private housing and installed 9 Silhouettes in the lobby of the Hôtel de Paris in Saint Tropez.
The sculpture “L’Enjeu”, was commissioned for the Christchurch stadium in New Zealand for the occasion of the Rugby World Cup in 2011, which marked a turning point in her works – return to the simple line. By the multiplication of lines and curves, she creates movement in her sculptures. This work is exhibited in 2013 in Paris and in Hong Kong in 2014.
Laurence Bonnel has also created 2 monumental works in Singapore in 2015 – “The Sentinels”, which is composed of 9 Silhouettes in bronze, and “Muses” composed of 7 Silhouettes in aluminum.
In 2016, she also took on the role of artistic director of a gallery that she opened to present exceptional art furniture. The exhibited works illustrate the combination of the great French craftsmanship with the creativity of renowned or emerging artists.
