Claude Millette

Rencontre (Encounter) - geometric, abstract, stainless steel outdoor sculpture

2024

Quebec sculptor Bernard Hamel often looks to nature as a source of inspiration for his contemporary sculptures. Geyser emulates the fluid form of a spout of water erupting from the ground and shooting skyward. Forged from fine individual rods of stainless steel, this elegant and dynamic shape suggests turbulent motion. Geysers are a rare natural phenomenon. Hamel prefers to work in a variety of materials including wood and metals, often incorporating the sculpture into a natural environment. “My sculptural approach is essentially based on a direct relationship with the material….The material directs my gestures, determines my choices and the tools allow me, with their singularity, to model these shapes. Memories meet material to transform into a sculptural form with organic lines.” Bernard Hamel Bernard Hamel was born in Quebec and lives and works in St. Roch des Aulnaies. He completed a bachelor’s degree in visual arts at UQAM with a focus on sculpture. To perfect his knowledge of wood he completed a course in cabinetmaking at the Institut québécois d’ébénisterie, in Quebec. In 2005, he took a woodturning course with Jean-François Escoulen and André Martel, two internationally renowned turners. Since 1999, Hamel has taught sculpture at the Maison des Métiers d’Art de Québec. He has had numerous solo and group exhibitions in Quebec and participated in international symposia including the Camille Claudel Sculpture...

Philippe Pallafray’s dramatic contemporary sculptures often appear to defy the laws of gravity. This imposing minimalist piece features a highly polished stainless steel ball precariously balanced between two bright red painted cubes...