Louis Chanu Bronze Sculpture

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LOUIS CHANU BRONZE SCULPTURE

LOUIS CHANU BRONZE SCULPTURE

© 2013 Louis Chanu

“I am a sculptor – a hands-on person. I love creating new things, and with bronze you are unlimited in what you can achieve in terms of colour, shape, texture, movement, detail and nuance. Resistant to temperatures of up to 1200 degrees Celsius, bronzes are an investment to be handed down for generations to come. It gives me a great sense of meaning and pleasure to present these works. They will be a permanent reflection of our unique era.”

< Ballet Torso A variation on a standard ballet pose, where the ballerina’s torso balances beautifully. Edition: 15 Weight: 4 kg Size: 550 x 190 x 140

> Nickel splash ballerina A variation on a standard ballet pose, where the ballerina’s torso balances beautifully. Edition: 15 Weight: 4 kg Size: 550 x 190 x 140

“I feel inspired by the emotional expression in the human form. The slightest tilt of the head or positioning of the hands can change completely the mood of a sculpture.�

< NUDE BALLERINA This bronze sculpture shows a classic, simple pose of a female dancer. The female form is so evident in the ballet dancers and their fluid movements. Ed.25 670x220x200 FLIGHT > Watching numerous ballet films with my young daughter inspired this sculpture. I fell in love with the incredible range of movements of which the human body is capable, through the art of ballet. Working with a professional ballet dancer helped me understand and perfect this particular pose. Ed.15 590x500x440 *All measurements are shown in mm

“The Nickel Splashed Ballerina is the beginning of my range of innovative new works incorporating selective nickel plating on bronze sculpture.”

< BALLET TORSO A variation on a standard ballet pose, where the Ballerina’s torso balances beautifully. Ed.15 550x190x140 > NICKEL SPLASHED BALLERINA The striking contrast of bronze and nickel is evident in this nude ballerina, clothed only in a nickel splash. The fluidity of the hot-poured wax over the “body”, which was then nickel plated, accentuates the feminine curves. Ed. 25 670x220x200

< FEATHERED BALLERINA This is one of my first sculptures that uses nickel plating: on the shoes, tutu and feathered head piece. It particularly gives life to the tutu, giving it a light, fluffy look. Ed.25 670x220x200 > SHADES This sculpture was inspired by a recently published book and explores the issues of limitation, or lack of freedom; either mental or physical. This bronze has a charcoal patina with the rope nickel plated. Ed.25 580x200x200

“The reflective qualities of the nickel and the uneven texture of the polished nickel surfaces provide an infinite kaleidoscope of reflections...” TRANSCEND (Life Size): This bronze sculpture is mounted on a rotating base and constantly entertains the viewer. The reflective qualities of the nickel and the uneven texture of the polished nickel surfaces provide an infinite kaleidoscope of reflections which keep this sculpture “ever changing”. This is particularly evident at sunset/sunrise. Ed.8 2400x600x600

< TRANSCEND MAQUETTE This is a very important work in my bronze sculpture collection, as this was the first time that I used nickel-plating in an artistic way on a bronze sculpture. It’s a truly unique piece, with forever changing colours reflected in the nickel plating. Ed.25 660x220x210 > Louis working with Kristy

SUMMER (Life size): This piece was designed with a specific site in mind. The diver is poised on a rock at the edge of a farm dam, diving backwards toward the water. I had a lot of fun designing the 50’s style costume and creating the movement. Ed.8 1500x2360x500

< HOT SHOT This sculpture was inspired by the contemporary images of strong, leading women that have become so prevalent in film today. Ed.15 1130x440x440 > DISTANT LOOK This sculpture portrays a moment in time – it captures the thoughtful mood of a woman slowly smoking a cigarette and gazing pensively into the distance. Ed.10 790x490x410

FREE WHEELING This was inspired by a visit to Germany, where I saw people on bicycles on every street. It was so beautiful to see so many women cycling around on these old “dikwiel” bicycles. Ed.25 570x600x150

ATTITUDE This is the first sculpture I made in bronze. I love the Attitude of this woman, posing with her pitbull. Ed.10 1080mmx730x400

“Bronze is the ‘ultimate’ medium in terms of versatility; you can achieve intricacy, as well as boldness and size.”

< FLOWER POWER This image shows a woman on a beautiful summer day, with her hat softening the lines of her pose. Ed.10 1130x430x430. > INTIMATE MOMENT I was inspired by a painting of a couple dancing on a beach- I loved the beautiful classical lines in this intimate pose, and challenged myself to create a sculpture that captures this mood. Ed.15 550x300x300

LAST SHOT This bronze depicts the intensity of this female Archer’s focus on her final arrow in flight, before falling off the precipice. You can clearly see the battle she has fought to get her last shot, and the emotions of focus, sacrifice and self-belief are evident in her features and pose. Ed.25 940x410x370

AFROTUDE The beauty of this self-confident African woman, walking with Attitude, showing off her status and curvaceous figure, is a statement about contemporary women, and how attitudes have changed in the last decade. Ed.25 650x370x960

“From early on, I was using my hands and ingenuity to make wire cars, model airplanes and go-carts. I was taught by my father how to use tools to create and build my own inventions. This gave me a great platform to express myself as a sculptor.�

< CRUISING I remember a time in my childhood when all the farm kids built their own wire and tin cars. We used to have hours of fun racing along footpaths in the bush. Ed.15 570x750x210 > INNOCENT GAMES These innocent games of children playing with tyres is still seen where I live in Grabouw, and always reminds me of my childhood. The joy that children get from such a simple game shows how we forget that simple things can make us happy. Ed 25 500x400x200

“Flying is like a meditation for me, it puts me in a completely different state of mind, removing me from usual, everyday life.”

< VIRTUAL REALITY This is a nostalgic piece for me, as my second passion is flying and I went from being a boy building small wooden planes, to building and flying real aeroplanes. I have called this sculpture “Virtual Reality” because I remember running along, playing with an aeroplane in my hand, imagining a world of flying, where the plants under my feet were the jungles and the footpaths were landing strips. This was my virtual reality. Richard Branson is the proud owner of one of these. Ed.25 620x340x460 > FORGOTTEN GAMES (Life size) This is another memory from my childhood in Swaziland, where my African friend, Logente, and I used to play with old bicycle rims. This innocent game is seldom seen anymore. Ed.10 1480x830x2000

< AFTER THE HARVEST Living in the heart of the winelands of South Africa, celebrating the end of the harvest is a joyous time and inspired me to create this work. Ed.15 640x730x470 > MAMA AFRICA (SOLD OUT) Mama Africa is a scene I see so often, whether in the Cape, Transkei, Zimbabwe or Malawi- there will always be an African Mama multitasking somewhere. She will have a baby on her back, a crate of quarts (beers) on her head, and a live rooster in hand. She is merrily chatting on her cellphone, wrapped in blankets in the scorching heat, with a smile on her face and a spring in her step. How could I not cast her in bronze, an image never to be forgotten! Ed.15 650x220x270

“Having grown up on a farm in Africa, in particular South Africa and Swaziland, I feel that I am a part of Africa and its people - its ways, joys and tragedies.”

< AFTER THE MARKET This is a sculpture inspired by a photograph –­ a family in true “African” style, on their way home from market on their old “dikwiel” (thick tyre) bicycle. Ed.15 580x600x300 > TIMES OF ABUNDANCE This bronze sculpture was inspired by a photo taken up the coast of Africa, where there is still lots of fish to feed the local people, people live a simple life, and “life is good”. The abundance is so evident to me in the swollen belly and breasts of the mother, who is not only pregnant, but holds the hand of her other child and in the abundance of fish she and her child carry. Ed.25 295x300x640

MAN AND BEAST This bronze sculpture was inspired by our visits to the Transkei, where an ancient way of life still exists, where the local people use bull and ploughs, and the women grind the corn for bread; and technology doesn’t rule their way of life. Ed.25 1400x460x310

LADUMA Soccer world cup fever had us all caught up in South Africa in 2010. And so began the world’s love affair with Vuvuzelas. Ed.25 1050x480x480 STAND OFF The leopard and baboon, eternal enemies, are shown in a final battle for survival in this tense stand off. This sculpture was inspired by an amazing photograph that I saw once of a male leopard charging a baboon. A baboon is a formidable force, even for a leopard to deal with – as you can notice in the sculpture, the leopard is slightly pulling back so as not to get bitten by the baboon’s large “incisors”. Ed.15 285x670x300

“Bronze can be patinated (coloured) with acids to show a variety of colours, while boasting durability for millennia to come.�

BLUE WHALES How could I ignore the urge to shape and salute a creature that is 30 metres in length and weighs 170 tons, and yet is so gentle and graceful. Ed.15 690x1120x450

LION SKULL This is an exact replica of a male lion skull, which was inspired by the incredible power of the male lion, which is unparalleled in the animal kingdom. It is cast in bronze and then nickel plated, which gives an “electric� energy to this bronze. The invisible hinge allows for open or closed display. Ed. 99 240x400x240

1989 - Louis moulding Beth, his wife to be.

Louis Chanu has had a passion for sculpting since he was a child. He has an ability to transform any material into a three dimentional form, be it wax, clay or new materials with which he is constantly experimenting. He is versatile in his subject matter, having sculpted realistic figures as well as abstract and organic shapes. His sculptures have an emotional quality and a sense of movement. “Growing up in a time without technology such as computers and cellphones, my enjoyment came from making my own toys, thereby creating my own entertainment and using my imagination”. Simplicity is becoming more precious as the world becomes more complex. This is perhaps why Louis’ sculptures reflect so accurately so many aspects of contemporary life. Louis started his career by creating a large range of concrete outdoor sculptures which can be seen in gardens throughout South Africa. It is this business which has enabled him to pursue his passion for making original sculptures in bronze, where he can focus on the subject matter that he loves. Over the last 10 years Louis has exibited widely and his work can be found in collections all over the world. Louis lives and works in the Elgin Valley near Cape Town, South Africa.

louis@chanuart.co.za +27 (0)21 859 3419 +27 (0)82 304 9696 P O Box 1186 Grabouw 7160 www.chanuart.co.za Š 2013 Louis Chanu

Photography: Stephen Greaves Design: Carina Lochner Printed by Castle Graphics

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