Bernard Rives

The unexpected itinerary

Originally from Carcassonne, France, Bernard Rives completed his studies at the University of Photography in Cologne. He later settled in Barcelona, where he worked as a photographer for internationally renowned advertising agencies. Alongside his main activity, he began spontaneously creating sculptures of female bodies, later transposing them into larger formats in clay and wood sculptures. During this period, he won the first prize from the Paul Ricard Foundation and decided to dedicate himself entirely to sculpture, inspired by dynamic and free women. Since then, he has exhibited his work in Spain (where he lives), France, and other locations around the world.

The importance of nudity

Bernard Rives considers the nude a symbol of freedom. Although for many centuries human bodies have been covered from head to toe due to religious oppression, Bernard Rives' sculptures convey, through movement, an inalienable power of life. Through an intricate balance between volume and the sensual, stylized beauty of the nude bodies, he manages to express an irrepressible emotion. Humor, transgression, controversy… the grace of the female form remains at the heart of his work.

The sculptures

Spontaneous, optimistic, and energetic, Bernard Rives creates his sculptures using two approaches. They are cast using an age-old process: lost-wax bronze casting, which is then polished, patinated by hand, numbered, and signed. They are also made with prestigious materials used in the construction of racing yachts and surfboards (resin, fiberglass, and polyurethane varnish), which gives them lightness and resistance to extreme weather conditions.

His favorite subjects are women and animal life. An essential art, guided by his materials, his sculptures are characterized by extremely simplified lines and perfect aerial balance. Each creation contains movement, as if in mid-flight. Each of his sculptures emerges as an essential form, a freely expanding silhouette.