Terra Mata, 2008

Frédérique Maillart  

Frédérique Maillart, sculptor, comes from three brilliant generations of painters. His great-grandfather, Diogenes Maillart, received the Grand Prix de Rome in painting and it was his father of great renown who taught him to sculpt. At 17, naturally steeped in this family heritage, Frédérique joined the prestigious Ecole Nationale Superieur des Beaux Arts in Paris, in the studio of Raymond Corbin, sculptor and engraver in medals and member of the French Academy. Her journey leads her to Casa Velasquez, then to Palma de Mallorca.

After these years of training, she moved to the South of France where she was called to create a monumental fountain in Seyne-les-Alpes. Her career was then marked out by prizes, laureates, numerous exhibitions in France and abroad, and prestigious commissions including in particular the Sainte Marie-Madeleine which is currently exhibited at the Jardin des Cinq sens et des Formes premieres in St Marc- Jaumegarde, near Aix en Provence facing the Ste Baume. Frédérique Maillart has chosen the path of sculpture, of volume; a difficult route both physically and technically. She knows how to work stone, wood and bronze. She handles materials and easily juggles them by interweaving them with each other. His academic training and this multiple talent are found in the sketches of his sculptural works, where the quality of his line is expressed wonderfully.

The study of his drawings thus allows us to better understand his monumental works, by finding in them volume, vigor, and creativity. Understanding a sculptor and his work goes through the look we have on his sketches. A sketch is a work in itself. By visualizing on paper the artist manages to extract the full dimension of the sculpture. Frédérique draws her inspiration from the force of Nature. His materials are not chosen at random but reflect an interest in the tension that exists between the material and the spiritual. The Divine invites her to produce sacred works and she tends to give back all her power to an art more and more neglected.