Sentinelles, Circa 2026

Valérie Hadida   Best sellers Emerging artists

Through , Valérie Hadida pursues a research that is her own: to represent woman not as an ideal of beauty, but as an inner presence, a bearer of memory, emotions, and resilience. Her figures, which she tenderly calls her "little good women," evolve in a poetic universe where fragility becomes a strength.

In this bronze sculpture, two young women are seated side by side, so close that they seem to form almost a single being. One gently embraces the other, while their legs cross in a subtle balance. Nothing is demonstrative: everything plays out in the restraint of the gesture, the closeness of the bodies, and the silence of the gazes.

The most striking element is undoubtedly their hair, a characteristic trait of Valérie Hadida's work. Here, it unfolds like a living, almost vegetal or cloudy material. The volumes seem carried by the wind, evoking as much as thoughts as memories or emotions that inhabit these characters. This hair becomes an extension of their interiority, a form of invisible energy made visible.

The title  illuminates the reading of the work. A sentinel watches, protects, and remains attentive. These two figures appear as silent guardians, not of a territory, but of a human presence. They embody solidarity, listening, and mutual support. The discreet embrace that unites them suggests reciprocal protection: each becomes the strength of the other.

The treatment of the material fully participates in this emotion. The bronze retains the traces of the initial modeling; the surface is never smooth but vibrant, revealing the imprints of the artist's gesture. This texture lends the sculpture a deeply human dimension, as if the roughness of the material echoes the experiences of life. The verdigris patina, a signature of Valérie Hadida, further reinforces this impression of timeless softness.

Finally, despite its relatively intimate format (52 × 23 × 20 cm), the work possesses a monumental presence. The narrow base lifts the two silhouettes without isolating them from the viewer; their suspended legs create a sensation of lightness, almost weightlessness, while their faces remain absorbed in an inner contemplation.

 it can thus be understood as a meditation on the human bond. More than a representation of two women, Valérie Hadida offers an image of trust, sorority, and that discreet strength that arises when two beings choose to watch over each other. Faithful to her plastic language, she favors suggested emotion over explicit narrative, leaving the viewer the freedom to project their own story into this silent encounter.