Pascal Pierme | Featured Artist
June 25, 2024
Pascal Pierme is a wood sculptor that incorporates an organic material, geometric forms and a modern aesthetic.
Originally from France, Pascal Pierme made Santa Fe his home in 1997, marking a transformative chapter in his artistic journey. With acclaim across Europe as a sculptor, Pascal's relocation saw his portfolio flourished with prestigious commissions and admiration from galleries and collectors alike.
Being a foreigner in America, Pierme saw this as an advantage as he was able to see the surrounding landscape and culture with fresh eyes. This allowed him to incorporate his discoveries into his artistic process and create a unique body of work that has turned heads nationally and internationally.
His passion for the great outdoors is evident in his artwork, as he draws inspiration from the enchanting landscapes of the Southwestern region. Pierme's ongoing bodies of work have not only earned him respect in the art world but also a place in the hearts of those who appreciate the beauty of the Southwestern landscape.
For Pascal, wood embodies a dynamic versatility of warmth, color, and unpredictability. With an intuitive rapport with his materials, Pascal crafts unique varnishes and resins, coaxing bronze-like patinas from non-metallic surfaces.
Pascal blends geometric patterns with organic elements, creating artworks rich in symbolism. Known for both wall pieces and free-standing sculpture, featuring flowing shapes and curves, reflecting the beauty of nature's forms. Each piece celebrates the beauty and strength of wood, showcasing its texture and scent in various precious forms.
Pierme’s work has been included in 80+ solo, museum and international exhibitions out of the 120+ exhibitions outlined on his resume. Included are: Chinese European Art Center – Xiamen, China; Palm Springs Museum of Art – Palm Springs, California; Phoenix Art Museum – Phoenix, Arizona; Georgia O’Keeffe Museum Annex – Santa Fe, New Mexico; Taos Museum of Art – Taos, New Mexico; French Consulate – New York, New York; Albuquerque Museum – Albuquerque, New Mexico and Ube Center of Art – Ube, Japan.
Current works can be found in many permanent public collections, including ABC; Roger Guillemin, Nobel Prize recipient, medicine; Palais Bulles, Pierre Cardin’s residence – Cannes, France; Tom Mottola, Casa Blanca Records – New York, New York; Trust for Public Land – Los Angeles, California; Marriott Hotels, Nationwide; City Hall – Collogny, Switzerland and Equifax World Headquarters, the list continues… Countless publications have featured his sculpture. In addition, ARTWORKinternational Inc. Press published Pascal in 2006 as part of their Acclaimed Artist Series. As well, Fresco Fine Art Edition has featured Pierme’s work in their New Mexico Millenium and Abstract Art publications.
In addition, Pierme has found charitable endeavors an important facet of his artistic career. With a true intention of giving back, he has worked as an organizer and benefactor for several organizations relating to the promotion of the arts and the betterment of the community that he calls home. As a resident of Santa Fe, New Mexico, Pierme has contributed to The Santa Fe Artist’s Emergency Medical Fund, National Dance Institute, Art in Schools, Taos Museum of Art, The Horse Power Project and Aid and Comfort, among many others.
Artist Statement:
Francois Mitterrand said, “I love the person who is searching, yet I am afraid of the one who thinks he has found the answer.” In my life I have much more pleasure with the questions than with finding the answers, except when the answer is a new question. And that is where the obsession to create begins.
My work presents a sweet interrogation versus a statement. Success occurs when the viewer feels involved in the creativity. They ask their own questions that are perhaps different from mine, even if to find the same answer. To me, nothing is more boring than to be in total control.
I am inspired by the verb more than the adjective. I want my work to be recognized by its essence, not by the way it appears. By not being locked in to a “category” I am able to maintain freedom. This allows for a constant evolution in medium and subject.
Much like creating a novel in just a few sentences, I am creating a fundamental alphabet with which to speak my own language. Getting to the essential is the most difficult part for me and for many artists. We often put too much varnish on words, expressions, or attitudes. Through this process my work has become more minimal. Maturity has also given me the ability to take more risks
For decades, balance, movement, inquiry, architecture and nature have been reoccurring themes in my work. I am interested in assimilating what is not supposed to fit – the combining of contrasting elements. My main ingredient is chemistry. I feel the movement and then freeze that moment in the interaction and take a “snapshot” – capturing a split second in the evolution. Thereby creating something that is abstract and at the same time, quite figurative. As such, my work can be experienced as organic. It moves. It is alive, it comes from somewhere, it is going somewhere, and you feel that by what you see.
I try to sculpt in a way where I can change my mind until the last minute. My creativity is at its best when I push the medium of my work to its limit.