Stevens Dossou-Yovo

Stevens was born in Paris, where he later graduated from the Penninghen design school. He dedicated himself metal sculpture and was soon producing anthropomorphic sculptures and automata. In recent years, Stevens has moved away from figurative sculpture; he now focuses on the representation of space through powerful mural compositions. Steel remains his favourite medium: a fairly basic material, it lends itself to all sorts of experimentation.

Stevens says he derives inspiration from the sky. It is no coincidence that his studio should be suspended in mid-air, commanding an impressive view over the Paris skyline It is a confined space with a large bay window open to the horizon, recalling a camera obscura in which the artist condenses and refracts the outside world.

Stevens’ geometrical compositions give form to an inner vision. They are poised between the weightlessness of a mental picture and the gravity of the metal. The resulting tension even hints at a metaphysical dimension. Indeed, Stevens says that the play on optical illusion in his work reflects his questioning of the origins and confines of reality. His work is the result of his quest for some kind of order.

In the artist’s studio, archaeology meets spatial exploration: “I probe, I excavate”, he says. “Working is a way for me to get closer to what I’m looking for”. Thus each sculpture leads naturally to another, and so the vision renews itself, becoming more acute in the process. With his Broken Clouds series, Stevens believes he is getting closer to his ultimate goal. The work on volume and perspective he has pursued over the years here shows an unprecedented degree of mastery.