Photographer: Cesare Medri
Art Director: Monica Alesina
Creative Director: Cristina Frasca
Eyewear consultant: Dante Caretti
Stylist: Simone Folli
Fashion AssistantS: Nadia Mistri, Claudia Maria Iallaci,
Giada Victoria Fori, Elena Angelelli
Make-up: Topolino@Freelancer
Hair Stylist: Roberto Pagnini@Freelancer
Models: Amelie Konselova, Erika Laba, David Mirci, Nicholas Luca
Chrome Hearts
Top Alessandro Vigilante
Trousers Stylist’s Archive
Kuboraum
Total look Mingze Sun
Matsuda
Total look Xiaodan Liao
Masunaga
Total look Tony Zumbo - Afol Moda
Caroline Abram
Dress The Rizkianto
Bracelets Pianegonda
Bugatti Eyewear
Trench coat Alessandro Vigilante
Body Emilio Cavallini
Necklace Vanesi
Dita
Jacket Ruggiero Di Toma
Necklace Pianegonda
Blake Kuwahara
Catsuit Emilio Cavallini
Maybach Eyewear
Top and skirt Stylist’s Archive
Balmain Eyewear
Total look Mingze Sun
Vakay
Total look Xiaodan Liao
L.A. Eyeworks
Total look Xiaodan Liao
Akoni Eyewear
Dress Carmine Vallone
Vysen
Cape Minavara
Top Stylist’s Archive
Reiz
Vest Pomandère
Body Matteo Niero
Trousers Stylist’s Archive
EDITO
I love you without knowing how, or when, or from where.
I love you straightforwardly, without complexities or pride.
So I love you because I know no other way than this.
- Pablo Neruda
I have often imagined an issue of LYF dedicated to love. It would have been simple to the point of being obvious, banal. Everything has been said and written about love, the greatest poets of all time have written about love, film makers have told it in unforgettable movies, painters have portrayed it in wonderful forms and so on, any artist has dedicated to it one or more works full of great meaning.
The most wonderful of feelings that moves everything in this universe has been praised in all its forms. LYF ‘Love comes in many forms’ doesn’t talk about just one kind of love, because naturally there isn’t only one, it doesn’t declaim it using excessively explicit images and immortal sentences, I realize now that it doesn’t really talk about it, it only hints at it, in a subtle, refined, intimate way, leaving the readers the ability to grasp it on the basis of their own sensitivity, their own culture, their own ’emotional education’. It’s seductive how this feeling everyone talks about remains absolutely mysterious, elusive. It is an art shaped by the very material of reality and by the infinite turns of events. Such a voracious force as to upset the existences of human beings, to often change the rules of lives that were thought to be established, predisposed, to make one crazy, happy, desperate, unstable, at the total mercy of this love or these loves, and yet it remains something mysterious that moves everything and regulates everything.
Cristina Frasca
TRIBUTE
Jimmy Nelson with the Huli Wigmen © Jimmy Nelson B.V.
“I believe strongly in the transformative power of beauty. I have personal experience of how recognizing and celebrating beauty can bring about positive change in individuals and communities. When people are encouraged to embrace their own identities and unique values, they become more secure and fulfilled and a chain effect of positive transformation is generated in their lives.”
Jimmy Nelson is an award-winning photographer, born in Sevenoaks, Great Britain, in 1967. He travelled the world almost immediately thanks to his geologist father’s job, which led his family spending long periods in remote corners of Africa, America, and Asia. As an artist, he is constantly seeking to encounter and connect to indigenous cultures with the aim of celebrating their beauty and authenticity. His photographs are a mirror reflecting a naturally beautiful human essence interconnected to other humans and to all other living beings, where the relationship between humans and nature gives rise to reciprocal beauty. The images are created paying the maximum attention to detail, with an obsessive search for a balance of forms, colours and, above all, light, which is exclusively natural.
Since the time of his first internationally acclaimed photographs taken in Tibet almost 30 years ago, Jimmy Nelson has travelled to the furthest corners of our planet. He has visited many indigenous communities all over the world, developing reciprocal projects through the foundation named after him.
Jimmy Nelson, Wodaabe, Sudosukai clan, Gerewol festival, Chad, 2016 © Jimmy Nelson B.V.
"Rooted in a deep sense of empathy, my work aims to connect with people from different cultures and inspire others to embrace the beauty of humanity, and recognize that we are all one people."
Jimmy Nelson, Longhorn Miao, Suo Jia Liupanshui, Guizhou, China, 2016 © Jimmy Nelson B.V.
Jimmy Nelson, Himba, Hartmann Valley Serra Cafema, Namibia, 2011 © Jimmy Nelson B.V.
Jimmy Nelson, Kazakh, Bayan-Ölgii, Mongolia, 2011 © Jimmy Nelson B.V.
In his photographs, Jimmy Nelson celebrates the cultural diversity encountered on his journeys in contact with the myriads of communities in West Papua, Tibet, Africa, Siberia, Bhutan or in other zones of the planet, inviting viewers to see the world from a different perspective and encouraging them to understand and appreciate the intrinsic beauty we all possess as an integral part of the vast human family.
His work is typically expressed in the form of portraits. During his long sojourns in the remotest corners of the Earth, Jimmy Nelson establishes deep connections with the people living there, paying meticulous attention to the cultural characteristics of the communities he portrays, emphasizing the uniqueness and beauty of every single one. His compositions are visual symphonies in which the human element harmonizes with the natural environment.
His images often portray the older members of these communities whose faces bear the signs left by time and lifetime of experiences, as in the photograph of the elderly Inuit woman.
Many of his portraits highlight the strength and beauty of women, as in the picture of the young Kazakh woman, a powerful symbol of female emancipation. His shots even document how women are also breaking down gender barriers in traditionally male activities, like hunting with eagles.
Another aspect of Jimmy Nelson’s photography is the depiction of people in motion, engaged in rituals, playing musical instruments, climbing rocks or riding horses. These images not only offer a glimpse into the subjects’ cultures and ways of life, but also serve to immerse the viewer in a different culture in a prudent and respectful way. The intention is to illustrate the dynamic influence of external factors, such as globalization, technology and popular culture, on traditional societies and their evolving identities. Rather than documenting cultures from an ethnographic perspective, his focus is on showing their vibrant contemporaneity and the interaction between tradition and modernity.
Jimmy Nelson, Maasai, Sarbore, Serengeti, Tanzania, 2010 © Jimmy Nelson B.V.
"In a world of constant change, we need the wisdom of the world's indigenous cultures to lead us back to a more balanced and harmonious existence."
Thanks to Palazzo Reale, Milan, for the material and support provided to us. Palazzo Reale has hosted JIMMY NELSON with Humanity, a photography exhibition promoted by Comune Milano, in collaboration with the Jimmy Nelson Foundation.
OPTIC PROJECT
1st Floor, 41
Apgujeong-ro 14-gil, Gangnam-gu
Seoul
Republic of Korea
Owner Jimin Seo
Jimin, you are the owner of OPTIC PROJECT and you also have a young team full of passion and energy. What is your path and how did you come to create your store?
l We currently have a team of 3 people, and we plan to continue increasing our staff in the future. I think that eyewear has the role of an accessory that stands out more than any other fashion items and is perfect to change the individual mood. At the same time, it is a very important optical item that plays a role in our vision, so I think it has a significant part in our lives.
Therefore, OPTIC PROJECT buys, curates, and introduces fashionable and stylish items among the numerous eyewear around the world, while also doing its best to create accurate and perfect glasses for each individual through detailed and complete optometry.
OPTIC PROJECT refers to a space focused on eyewear with a modern atmosphere, and the various attempts that take place along with that space.
The symbol, which looks like ‘OPP’ overlapped under the diagonal line on the right, was inspired by the optometric lens.
The symbol of the garden-based design stands out for its sense of balance, and the repetition of the circular shape represents the continuity pursued by the brand and the changes within it.
OPTIC PROJECT is a dynamic eyewear selection shop that pursues a modern mood and approaches with a flexible attitude.
In other words, it is a space that is based on eyewear (optics) and curated into a modern and sophisticated atmosphere, showing a mood that is differentiated from existing players.
In addition, as the word ‘project’ suggests, it is a space with an unstoppable and variable tendency, and is a brand that explores not only the ‘outward form of the shop’ but also the ‘role as a select shop’ while steadily seeking change and growth.
Your store appears minimal, what are the concept and the philosophy behind it?
Eyewear is more difficult to choose than other items, and small differences make a big difference. Although there are many diverse types of eyewear, our intention is to buy and curate glasses carefully and in-depth to present only refined and wonderful frames.
Who took care of the interior design, what materials were used, what are the peculiarities and what effect did you want to achieve?
l A modern and minimalistic atmosphere was emphasized. Stainless steel, marble floors, and a clean lighting structure were used, and the hidden room inside was designed to highlight luxury and use various items and rugs so that customers can focus more on looking at the eyewear.
Where does your passion for beautiful research glasses come from?
l Eyewear is an item that has a great impact on our lives. It occupies a very large part of it because it affects the visual image and the way it is viewed. However, compared to its importance, I think there are few people who truly research and think about eyewear. At OPTIC PROJECT, we always strive to be a space that introduces carefully selected and refined glasses.
The words ‘Details make the difference’ appear on your window. It’s certainly a precise message, but can you still tell me about it?
l When we look at people, we always make eye contact first, and eyewear is what naturally stands out the most, so small details have a big impact on the overall mood. I also think that details are really important in optometry, as small differences can have a huge impact on customers’ conditioning.
When you visit an exhibition, how do you know which brands are right for you? What makes you fall in love with a collection?
l Rather than simply judging at the exhibition, we decide on the message and identity the brand wants to convey and what vision and goals it has through conversations with the brand representative and team members, and then look at its quality and design to see whether it would suit OPTIC PROJECT’s customers. Finally I think about buying it.
What is your type of customer and what exactly are those who come to your store looking for?
l People who have become interested in eyewear and want to have proper glasses visit us to find frames that suit them, and many people who like globally trendy and iconic eyewear visit us.
I have the impression that you visit exhibitions around the world a lot and you have all the international brands in your shop. What influences do you draw from the different cultures you come into contact with?
l The OPTIC PROJECT team always participates in various exhibitions to prepare buying and projects in order to introduce trendy eyewear that is a global issue to customers, faster and more vividly than anything else.
We are also studying cutting-edge technologies and devices for accurate optometry.
How important is fashion in the world of optics and how much do you think everyone should create their own style regardless of current trends?
Eyewear should not only highlight its role as a simple optical device or only emphasize fashion. I believe that an item called eyewear can be considered a well-fitting eyeglass only if it fits perfectly both as a fashion and as an optical device. Also, I believe that just as clothes express themselves in many different manners, glasses are also a way to express oneself in a lot of diverse ways. So, rather than sticking to just one style, I think we should express ourselves in a variety of styles, such as classic eyewear and trendy one.
What must a frame represent for the person who wears it?
I think that style and image express the overall mood and are the most important part, accounting for more than anything else, such as clothes or fashion.
What plans do you have for the future?
OPTIC PROJECT has always carried out and is currently working on various projects for glasses. I would like to continue to pursue more cool and diverse projects to showcase the different and evolved aspects of eyewear.
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I define myself as a Contemporary Collage Artist. I use digital and analog processes working in a variety of media. The main thread running through all my images is the human relationship with nature and the natural world portrayed with a sense of mystery and wonder. My digital works are ethereal and dreamlike with an otherworldly aesthetic. I am particularly interested in flowers and plants as metaphors. Themes of memory, identity, and the human condition. Introspective themes, inviting viewers to explore their own emotions, dreams, and subconscious, hoping my work resonates on a deep emotional level, eliciting feelings of wonder, contemplation, and a sense of connection to the inner self.
Songs of Earth by Sarah Jarrett
Travels In Wonderland by Sarah Jarrett
Persistence of Memories by Sarah Jarrett
I define myself as a Contemporary Collage Artist. I use digital and analog processes working in a variety of media. The main thread running through all my images is the human relationship with nature and the natural world portrayed with a sense of mystery and wonder. My digital works are ethereal and dreamlike with an otherworldly aesthetic. I am particularly interested in flowers and plants as metaphors. Themes of memory, identity, and the human condition. Introspective themes, inviting viewers to explore their own emotions, dreams, and subconscious, hoping my work resonates on a deep emotional level, eliciting feelings of wonder, contemplation, and a sense of connection to the inner self.
Nature feels ingrained within me. I’ve lived most of my life in the countryside and have had a lifelong fascination with folklore, natural medicine, myth and magic. Heavily influenced by reading constantly in my childhood.
No two days are the same. There’s a pattern of moving through different processes through the course of the day. I wake very early every day, I run or walk and I bathe in ice cold water down in the meadow listening to the world wake up, birdsong, deer, watching the sun emerge, and the morning starts very productively making a daily collage with tea.
My work is not autobiographical. I try not to give specific meanings to my works but instead hope there is a connection with the viewer, an emotional resonance. I’m a visual storyteller. What I do reflect are my dreams and ideas about the world.
There is a very deliberate aim to create work that has a vintage feel but is also very contemporary and that is a very delicate balancing act.
Art has really become life for me. It’s no longer a job but instead a way of being.
It’s become so ingrained in everything that I do and the way I live my life that I cannot see it as something separate. I really love to connect with other creatives and understand how they work and make. I’ve been lucky to work with other artists, writers and musicians on many different projects and it feeds my soul and makes me feel good. Art has made me stronger, more self-disciplined, more curious, fearless.
Travels In Wonderland by Sarah Jarrett
Travels In Wonderland by Sarah Jarrett
In making analog work, I have lots of collected materials but I also make painted papers to create some pieces. I’m a big fan of flea markets and car boots for collecting collage materials.
My more recent foray into painting is always oils as first choice. I love the slowing down of everything painting with oils and learning patience in the slow dry. It’s such a contrast to the immediacy of digital work.
Love comes in many forms
My absolute love for my children and family is always incredibly strong but I have found real love in what my creative work brings into my life. Being an Artist can be a lonely path but it can also be such a powerful and rewarding way of connecting with a global audience on many different levels. I’m still very much in love with life.
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Afarin Sajedi, Garden Dinner
Courtesy of Dorothy Circus Gallery
and the artist
Afarin Sajedi, Bon Appétit Duncan
Afarin Sajedi, born and grown up in Iran and later moved in Paris, is a world-renowned artist who has made a name for herself in the world of contemporary art with her personal, powerful and unique style.
Her art reflects the Persian heritage and explores themes of identity, culture, and history.
The artist began drawing and painting at a very young age.
Her vision is deeply influenced by the Italian Renaissance, the history of European art and, in particular, by Gustave Klimt and the literary works of Heinrich Böll.
Her artistic journey intertwines also with the magical symbolism and more contemporary influences of American Pop Surrealism and Asian Neo-Pop.
Her characters evoke at the same time the elaborate nuances of Shakespearean dramas, Lars von Trier’s films, and the surreal adventures of Cervantes and Calvino.
In 2013, invited by the Dorothy Circus Gallery, Sajedi held her first solo exhibition in Europe in Rome, as part of the “Inside Her Eyes” exhibition.
Her paintings are characterized by a surreal atmosphere, strong and expressive colors, through which the artist reflects the complexity of the human experience and the importance of preserving cultural heritage and identity.
The artist primarily depicts women, with their bizarre hairstyles, blushed lips and cheeks, standing against solid-colored backgrounds, often accompanied by symbolic objects or living elements like fish.
These women often appear immersed in a deep sea of tranquility and pleasant silence. Yet, they are women with eloquent gazes that speak to us even with closed lips. They have expressive, proud faces, but very human in their approach to life and the various emotions they feel.
They are bold women who understand suffering, who live with conflicting feelings, strong emotions, joys, and sorrows.
Afarin Sajedi, Bon Appétit
Afarin Sajedi, Mademoiselle Proust
Afarin Sajedi, Bon Appétit Bloody Mary
Their lips are often sealed shut, or sometimes not even painted. This expresses the impossibility of communication, which occurs entirely through their vivid and eloquent eyes, in some cases covered by glasses or headgear, or veiled, but always expressive.
“I really love faces. I adore details and drawing the details of the face. Especially the eyes, I focus a lot on those because I believe they truly represent people’s thoughts, without the possibility of lying. The eyes are the mirror of the soul”, affirms Afarin Sajedi.
Eyes are fundamental elements in Sajedi’s portraits. For the artist, the world is reflected precisely in the gazes of her characters. Their eyes shout what closed mouths cannot. In their gazes, we can glimpse an inner conflict made of fear and hope, but above all, great strength. Yet, often, the eyes are closed, emphasizing their ability to observe the world through an ‘inner sight’ for which physical eyes are not needed.
Sajedi offers us a unique opportunity to explore her inner world and reflect on the status of women in the contemporary context.
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Grace Eunshin Kim, Celebration Il
Grace Eunshin Kim’s art is a dynamic and playful exploration of contemporary society through a masterful interplay of references to the great works of art history.
Born in Seoul and based in Canada, her work is highly influenced by the divine images of the 13th-15th century European Renaissance paintings.
Her works, illuminated by a vibrant palette, exude an exuberant plastic force and convey a sense of tension towards equilibrium, in constant reference to the mysterious code of the Italian Renaissance. Through an innovative combination of hues, the artist’s playful scenarios are pervaded by a deep sense of surreality.
Kim is a master of suspense, transporting us into a static yet historical dimension where her figures are often depicted in a state of solemn contemplation, almost hesitant about taking their next action and revealing a perpetual inner conflict.
Grace Eunshin Kim, Choir Practice
The tension and the inclination of Kim’s populated scenarios represent the constant search for happiness. In the portrayal of Kim’s stories, the balance of happiness is consumed between the desire to act and the instant before. Recalling the moment in which Eve’s hand leans over to reach the forbidden fruit, in the hope of complete happiness and knowledge of all similarly, in the characters portrayed by Kim happiness is displayed along with the hope for more but fear of losing the desired pursuit.
Grace Eunshin Kim, Him, Triptych
Grace Eunshin Kim, Him, Triptych
Grace Eunshin Kim, Moving Out III
Kim distinguishes herself as the dynamic and vibrant spirit. Expertly declined across a combination of playfuland populated scenarios, the artist bestows sacredness with the ‘Still Image’ effect.
Her works have a profound impact on the viewer, evoking a sense of precarious absurdity as one navigates through the complex and layered landscape of the mind. The passage that her works open onto is one that leads to the abyss of the mind, a place where time seems to lose its meaning and instead gives way to a sole momentum of tension and flow. This elusive present that her works embody is one in which reason and imagination come together in a harmonious dance, like opposite twins united in a shared purpose. The viewers are invited to become fully immersed in this world, to lose themselves in the depth and complexity of the artist’s vision and to discover new insights and perspectives. The artist’s work is not only a visual experience, but also a daily search for happiness and the meaning of life.
Kim’s artworks are characterized by the intricate interweaving of the faces of the protagonists with masks, creating a densely populated mise en scène that blurs the boundaries between the real and the fantastical. The tension in her scenarios is both dramatic and ironic, as she masterfully blends elements of different artistic traditions to create something entirely new and original. The viewer can see the influence of dynamic Cranach-like landscapes, as well as dramatic scenarios reminiscent of Masaccio’s “Adoration”, all reset within the mood of Pierre Bonnard’s “Evenings in Paris”, and all frozen in time by the ‘Still Image’ effect borrowed from Balthus.
This eclectic mix of inspiration gives birth to Kim’s visually striking compositions, which are characterized by a sense of depth and dimensionality that draws the viewer into the narrative. The artist uses perspective and spatial relationships to create an immersive experience that is not only visually striking, but also emotionally resonant.
The desire to act, and the previous instance, consume the pursuit of maintaining a happy balance. All this, almost recalling the moment in which Eve’s hand reaches down to reach the forbidden fruit, in denial of a possible happiness once the knowledge of good and evil has been internalized.
All together resulting in a constant but subtle tribute, greatly executed to the uniqueness of Kim’s detailing, who doesn’t miss any chance to pervade every canvas of her Asian heritage.
It is even possible to deduce the kaleidoscopic sentimental representation of “Celebration II”. The adoration of the Magi is represented across the surrealism of her characters which, far from discrediting the spirituality of the occasion, celebrates the greatest influences of a mocking Magritte.
In her new body of work titled “The Meeting,” presented in a double solo exhibition with Jeffrey Chong Wang, Kim allows us to peek through the windows that open onto the everyday nuances of love while she explores both hers and her partner’s visions of the sentimental relationship that characterizes the story of these two artists in life and work.
Kim’s art is marked by a parallelism between ancient and contemporary visual language, where she masterfully mixes symbolism, deftly weaving together a narrative of love and pursuit. She uses traditional imagery such as religious iconography, mythology, and symbolism to create a sense of continuity with the past, but at the same time, her art is not simply a nostalgic tribute to the past. Instead, it serves to give back a sense of the sacred in our modern-day lives, depicting moments of contemporary existence rather than mystic scenes.
In Kim’s artwork, consumerist labels such as iPhones, Nike trainers, and popular drinks are prominently featured throughout her compositions. These symbols of consumerism serve as a replacement for the traditional symbol of the apple, which has been used throughout art history to convey ideas about morality, temptation, and the human condition. The apple, which is often associated with religious and mythological significance, is traditionally seen as a symbol of the sacred. However, in Kim’s art, consumerist labels are used to represent the desacralized, the mundane, and the profane.
The contrast between these symbols of consumerism and the traditional symbol of the apple reflects on the eternal versus the fleeting.
Kim’s art is a commentary on the human experience and society, inviting the viewer to contemplate the cyclical nature of life and the eternal pursuit of love, connection and possession. Her use of symbolism and imagery is a fresh and fluid take on contemporary art that communicates deep truths about the human experience in a relatable way.
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Ron Mueck, Australian-born, London-based, is an artist and sculptor known for his works made with particular materials that make them absolutely realistic and, at the same time, enigmatic.
His personal exhibitions have toured museums all over the world, in North America, Europe, South America and the Far East and, a few months ago, his first solo show was inaugurated in Italy at the Triennale in Milan, an evolution of the exhibition project held in Paris last summer, conceived by Fondation Cartier pour l’art contemporain in close collaboration with the artist.
Ron Mueck begins his career as a model maker and puppeteer in film and television in the United States and London, but in the mid-1990s he shifts his attention to fine arts. In 1996 he dedicates himself completely to artistic practices, totally abandoning all the commercial work he has done in the past. In 1999 he is appointed associate artist at the National Gallery in London.
Ron Mueck’s work touches on the universal and has profoundly renewed contemporary figurative sculpture. To sculpt his prodigious and realistic characters, always on an astonishing scale, it takes him months, or sometime years.
In a career spanning 25 years, he has produced a corpus of 48 works. At once deeply mysterious and extremely genuine, often imbued with a surreal quality, his art invites us to confront our own relationship with the body and, more broadly, with existence itself.
His sculptures are enormous, hyper-realistic, almost disturbing, and certainly do not leave you indifferent.
Mueck uses resin, fiberglass, silicone and other various materials to construct pieces emphasized by the keen likenesses of human beings. He plays with the scale of his sculptures, often making things a lot bigger or a lot smaller than what they logically should be.
“I never made life-size figures because it never seemed to be interesting. We meet life-size people every day. Altering the scale makes you take notice in a way that you wouldn’t do with something that’s just normal”, affirms the artist.
Mueck often aims to present his characters in key instants of their imagined lives, covering the mysterious moments such as birth and death. He draws upon his own memories, dreams and everyday experiences in order to portray his subjects with extraordinary compassion, injecting a little bit of his own personality into every piece he completes.
The naturalism of his work can be achieved with the astonishing level of detail of his pieces, but the whole hyper realistic approach is weakened by the artist’s calculated play with scale: some figures will fill the entire gallery while others will not hold more than three feet tall.
Mueck’s works command an uncanny ability to amaze all of its viewers – the obsessive surface details are nothing more than a tip of a much larger conceptual mountain that is Ron’s art. Appealing and engaging, these figures reveal our own personal needs to validate our humanity.
Mass (2017), in its monumental scale and ambition, is the centrepiece of the exhibition and represents a milestone in the artist’s career. Commissioned by the National Gallery of Victoria (Melbourne, Australia), Mass comprises one hundred giant human skulls piled high and reconfigured by the artist for each venue. The installation offers a physical and psychological experience that captivates visitors and encourages them to reflect on fundamental aspects of human existence. The title provides a glimpse of the work’s diverse interpretations.
In Bed (2005) is a giant depiction of a woman lying in bed, with her head propped up against the pillows. Despite its colossal size, the sculpture looks delicate and intimate. As is always the case in Ron Mueck’s work, the distorted proportions are central to the viewer’s encounter. In this case, the large scale alters the perspective to create a feeling of closeness to a person whose thoughts seem to be elsewhere. In Bed has been part of the Fondation Cartier Collection since 2005.
Woman with Sticks (2009), her back bent under the effort of an unexplained task and her feet firmly anchored to the ground, creates a dynamic posture set against the elegant irregularity of the barely contained sticks. The softness of her skin is scarred by the sharp, dry wood, and the expression on her face seems to indicate concentration on her surroundings. The deliberately small scale gives the sculpture an unsettling strangeness, as if we are looking in on a world that is both physically present but at the same time allegorical. Woman with Sticks has been part of the Fondation Cartier Collection since 2013.
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