The roots of the sky Haude Bernabé Sculptures in metal, wood and drawings Where the link between nature and spirituality is embodied "From my training as an agricultural engineer, I kept a passion for the plant world. I remain passionate about this reign through its “useful” qualities (food, medicine, etc.) and its multiple architectures and aesthetics at the origin of many creations ”explains Haude Bernabé. Following a series of works on paper on the theme of metamorphosis, plant elements naturally became part of his drawings. Sometimes they are imaginary plants, and sometimes they are plants brought back from travel that inspire him. The hallmark of many of the pieces presented in the “Roots of the Sky” exhibition, be they the wood and metal sculptures and unpublished drawings, is the use of wood and other elements of natural origin. (some recovered during a stay in Martinique, the piece of cedar from the garden of the artist's mother). “During my recent stays in Togo and Benin, I started a series of drawings with prints and colors of plants. On site, I was captivated by the richness of the flora and the power of nature. Nature and spirituality are deeply linked to it. Both countries have sacred forests. Knowledge of plants is ancestral knowledge and many plant motifs adorn the loincloths. These are the motifs that I used in a few drawings ”writes Haude Bernabé. It is precisely this link between nature and spirituality that is discussed in all the works presented in this exhibition, populated with graceful and aerial sculptures, sometimes decorated with plant motifs, nevertheless strongly rooted in reality and yet made of a shiny and luminous metal which stirs up the reflections of the light and makes them always more aerial and carries them towards a spiritual dimension. Plant cuts find their way into certain sculptures and appear as ornamental motifs in the drawings, instilling a spiritual dimension at the heart of each work produced. This new vegetal exploration of drawing invites a dialogue with sculpture. Both respond to each other and pave the way that leads to a global understanding of the artist's work, in two or three dimensions. Haude Bernabé thus offers the viewer several keys to understanding and possible angles of approach to all of his work, exploring more ways of restoring the world around us in its complexity and uniqueness.
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