Originally trained as an electrician, Bruno Catalano first encountered sculpture in a clay class with Francoise Hamel in Marseille. The artistic influence of Italian sculptor Bruno Locchesi gave further inspiration in the young sculptor’s fingers. The idea for his allusive travellers (Les Voyageurs) was born from a mistake on a sculpture of Cyrano, which prompted him to dig a hollow in his chest – thus turning the painful realisation of a mistake into the birth of a new path. In 2005, Bruno Catalano produced his first exhibition of torn travellers in Paris, which was an instant success.
Aesthetically, these pieces are simply mesmerising. Wounded travellers, torn between this world and another, they move quietly, leaving a sense of uneasiness in the viewers’ minds. Contrary to what we might expect, these travellers are not anonymous. They are often artists, starting with Vincent Van Gogh recognisable by his red beard. Often made as a two-piece structure, they represent a mosaic of each individual, turn between two worlds, suggesting a surreal, levitating presence which is not really here, but not really anywhere. With the present day relevance of displacement of humanity, Catalano’s sculptures strike a very personal and relevant not, challenging the viewer’s perception. Enigmatic and full of emotion, they make us see the world of as a poetic journey – and always with baggage.
To see more of Bruno’s works, see his website (in French and English). Bruno is represented by Galerie Bartoux (locations in France and New York), Galerie de Medici (Paris), Galleria Ravagnan (Venice), and Art Thema (Brussels), and Modus Art Gallery (Paris).
Watch the video below for a look behind the scenes on Bruno’s work.
Si vous parlez français, voilà un petit video “Coulisses – Bruno Catalano”.