With this metal skull sculpture, I wanted to inscribe a timeless presence in space by working on a vanity in ronde-bosse, visible from all angles.
A vanity in ronde-bosse: a total presence
In Vanité 3-24, the skull is treated in ronde-bosse, offering a full 360° view. It is not limited to an image: it becomes a presence that you circle around, discovering it gradually.
This choice strengthens the subject’s impact. Vanity, in art history, is a meditation on time, the fragility of life, and inevitable finitude. The skull is its central symbol, directly recalling the human condition.
Here, this idea is not illustrated: it is embodied. The sculpture does not tell a story; it imposes a silent presence.
Metal lace: between disappearance and permanence
Made of steel and bronze, the sculpture is constructed in metal lace by drop-by-drop fusion. This technique creates an openwork structure where the material seems both present and disappearing.
This contrast echoes the very meaning of vanity: what is solid becomes fragile, what seems full becomes pierced through.
Light plays an essential role, revealing volumes and then erasing them depending on the angle. The skull is never completely still: it appears, transforms, almost dissolves.
Steel provides a rigorous structure, while bronze introduces a warmer, more organic feel. Together, they create a work where the material itself seems to question time.
