JEAN-MARIE FIORI

The artist has also experimented with varied materials, starting from direct cutting in alabaster and marble, to bronze casting, and later lacquered bronze and biscuit porcelain.

Fiori’s work is also inspired by heritages of the High Antiquity, particularly Mesopotamian Art and Cycladic Minimalism. Associated with Ancient Greek mythologies and fables, Fiori’s creations remain true to his essential aesthetic and culture.

A contemporary vision of his highly distinguishable personal style, Fiori’s ‘beasts’ are imbued with dignity, but also childlike purity, sincerity, and mischievousness, bring heartfelt joy to the viewer.

Jean-Marie Fiori graduated from the National School of Fine Arts (École Nationale des Beaux-arts) in Paris, devoted to Sculpture, and more specifically to the representation of animals. Before that, he was a painter and realised numerous projects of decoration.

In his workshop populated by his ‘beasts’, as an inheritor of the realistic artists during the inter-war period, he works alabaster and marble in direct carving. The subtle translucency of the material allows him to develop his talent by giving a rich resonance to the colour that characterises his sculptures.

Jean-Marie Fiori adapts his technique to different animals that he portrays, from pure, smooth lines of oryx or panda to rough, waved fur of ram and bear. During the years, he improved his mastery of bronze and enriched his imaginary bestiary of designed furniture and monumental installations.

In 2010, Jean-Marie Fiori was selected by the Chinese Official Committee of World Expo in Shanghai to create a set of urban furniture consisting of five benches. Inspired by traditional Chinese symbols, he reinterpreted turtle, buffalo, tiger, duck, and falcon. This commission gave a new breath to his art, offering him the opportunity to combine the nobility of bronze to the strength of lacquer for the first time.

Many of Jean-Marie Fiori’s works are held among important private collections in Europe, Asia, America, and Africa. He is exclusively represented by DUMONTEIL.

Courtesy DUMONTEIL