NES - Clé de sol

G clef n°1
23x7x32.5 cm
Weight: 663 g

2025

Varnish

Work signed on the base by NES, French female sculptor artist working in metal
Sculpture in Steel/ metal

Delivered with invoice and certificate of authenticity
Excellent condition

Delivered via Colissimo with tracking
Technique of sculpture in metal, welding

Biography

Nes is a Bordeaux-born artist based in the Médoc. She was born in 1979. A metal designer, she creates sculptures and furniture from recovered metal pieces. Her work has a strong presence, a definite identity drawn from a baroque universe and heavily inspired by punk iconography.
Very early on, this young woman turned to artistic creation. It was in 2003, while she was completing her university studies with a degree in Applied Foreign Languages, that she discovered metalworking during a trip to Cuba. This discovery, which she experienced as a true revelation, led her to redirect her studies. She followed a qualifying training in metallurgy at IFIP in 2004, then a specialization in 2006 as an industrial and space-oriented welding technician. While continuing to explore contemporary artistic creation as a self-taught artist, she completed her training by becoming a qualified pyrotechnician in 2008.
Her works quickly caught the art world’s attention for their strong singularity and earned her several articles in the press (see press kit). In 2007, she won a Défi-Jeunes, a program set up by the Ministry of Youth. For her, it was a real catalyst that propelled her toward professionalism. From then on, she was frequently sought after at regional, national, and international levels. In 2009 she represented France at the International Competition of the Jeux de la Francophonie and exhibited at the UNESCO Palace in Beirut. In 2010, she was invited to UNESCO in Paris where she presented her work in a solo exhibition. As the national laureate of the Envie d’Agir program, she received the 2nd prize in cultural creation awarded by the High Commissioner for Youth. At the regional level Aquitaine and Charente, she received the 2nd prize for art design from Rotary District 1690.
Drouot appraisal at the public auction “Young Contemporary Creation” (March 22, 2014, Hôtel Drouot, Paris).

Artistic approach

“At 5 years old, I visited with my parents the torture museum of the Inquisition in Santillana del Mar. The human capacity to make others suffer horrified and fascinated me at the same time. I was frightened by the ingenuity with which man has shown to develop so much monstrosity. My work transcends this monstrosity by a look of gentleness that hides what humanity can harbor in terms of violence. I want to show the dark side of humanity, the human experience of suffering, the ability of man to conceal the horror that lies deepest within him, in order to highlight the passage from shadow to light.”
By liberating her gesture, Nes reveals through her sculptures a baroque and poetic universe. She draws strength from metal to lead the spectator into her world of arabesques, curves, and chains. Power in the material, fragility in the airy forms that spring from a complex imagination. From darkness to light, from chain to steel lace…
A baroque universe, another more playful one, both converge toward the same objective: to give back a soul to forgotten industrial elements. Playing with appearances, shadows, light, and contrasts, treating hostile materials until artistically guided toward softness and lightness. Her artistic signature, expressed through the use of chainsaw chains, earned her the press nickname the “iron lace-maker.” Ambivalence between form and matter, subtlety of the plastic language, detournement of materials.
“The questions that drive me: how to exercise discernment and live in society while considering that everyone may have a part of monstrosity within them? What are the limits of extreme human behavior? How can one detach from daily reality, from the illusions of our perception to ease this suffering, to stop concealing this dark part of ourselves? How can one emancipate from prejudices and defy appearances? How to live with this dark side of the soul? Meditate, accept, deny, rebel, renounce?”

Selected exhibitions

Exhibition “Resonances” for the 500th anniversary of Sainte-Chapelle and artist residence (09/09–06/11/21; residence: 21–25/09/21, Le Trampoline, Vic-le-Comte (63))
Exhibition and selection at the “3rd International Sculpture Competition” of the Biennale Europea d’Arte Fabbrile of Stia (02/09–05/09/21, Stia, Italy)
International symposium “Metal sympozium” and exhibition on the “Metal Trail” (11/06/18–15/06/18, Mlada Boleslav, Central Bohemia, Czech Republic)
Exhibition during the SNBA 2018 Fine Arts Fair (13/12–16/12/18, Carrousel du Louvre, Paris)
Exhibition “Arts of Fire” at the H.R GIGER Museum (17/10–23/10/15, Gruyères, Switzerland)
Exhibition at Capa Esculturas Gallery (12/09–21/10/2014, Madrid, Spain)
Exhibition “Pas à pas” (09/05–09/06/14, Louveigné, Belgium)
Exhibition at the “Feria Internacional del Arte de Granada” (07/05–12/05/12, Churriana de la Vega, Granada, Spain)
Exhibition at “FIARTE 2012” (08/04–20/04/12, Churriana de la Vega, Granada, Spain)
Exhibition at the “Salón internacional de Mujeres Artistas” (06/03–22/03/12, Maracena, Granada, Spain)
Permanent sculpture exhibition “Carpe Diem”: private collection of the Riviera Hotel & Beach Lounge (from 14/05/11, Corniche El Manara, P.O.Box: 11-4021 Riad El Solh 1107 2150, Beirut, Lebanon)
Exhibition of new works created during the art symposium “Riviera Fusion” (12/05–30/06/11, Riviera Hotel & Beach Lounge, Corniche El Manara, Beirut, Lebanon)
Exhibition and selection for the international Jeux de la Francophonie competition. Residency. Intervention in a school in Saïda. (27/09/09–06/10/09, UNESCO Palace Beirut, Lebanon)
Permanent sculpture exhibition “Pulsations et Convergences”: private collection of the Grand Lycée Franco-Libanais (from 06/10/09, Beirut, Lebanon)

Public commissions / Public collections

Public commission from the town of Lacanau: monumental sculpture “Fòrga” created in homage to the heritage site “La Forge” - Permanent exhibition in front of the town hall (07/24, Lacanau (33))
Commission from the Interregional Directorate for Juvenile Judicial Protection (DIRPJJ) – South-West (Trophies for the “Parcours du goût” - (13.5x17x35 cm-11.5x16x29.5 cm-11.5x14.5x26.5 cm) (07/23))
Acquisition of the sculpture “La Force d’âme” by the town of Vic-le-Comte and the Departmental Council of Puy-de-Dôme (Le Trampoline, place de l’olme, Vic-le-Comte (63) (11/13/21))
Acquisition of the sculpture “Thétis” by the Departmental Council of Charente-Maritime (Atrium of the Maison de la Charente, La Rochelle (17) (08/20/18))
Acquisition of the sculpture “The Dark Tower” by the town of Aiguillon (47) (12/10/16)
Acquisition of the sculpture “Les Trois Portes” by the Beychac et Cailleau media library/art archive (10/05/16)
Public commission: the town hall of Soulac-sur-Mer: sculpture created during the urban residence and public performance “Urban Welding Art” (05/03–12/05/13, Place de la Basilique, Soulac-sur-Mer)
Public commission: UEAJ 33. Practical training with youths from the Judicial Protection of Youth, aimed at social and professional integration (2013, UEAJ 33, Bordeaux)
Public commission of the Gironde General Council. Trophies “Mission Agenda 21” (15/10/2012, Gironde General Council, Bordeaux)
Public commission of UEAJ 33: creation of panels for the restaurant training “le P’tit Creux.” Practical training with youths from the Judicial Protection of Youth, aimed at social and professional insertion (05-06-07-08/06/12; 11-12-13-14-15-18-19/06/12, Listrac-Médoc workshop)
Public commission: Lacanau town hall: 20th anniversary of twinning with Castrillo de Murcia (04/2012)
Creation of a monumental mission cross (02/2012, Cussac-Médoc town hall (33))
Public commission: creation of a monumental sculpture for the entrance of a media library (Inauguration on 10/09/11, Beychac et Cailleau)
Creation of trophies for the Michelet Challenge. Practical training with youths from the Judicial Protection of Youth, aimed at social and professional insertion. (2010/2011, UEAJ 33 (Judicial Protection of Youth unit of Gironde))
Creation of sculptures for the school parking lot. Project carried out with the participation of children. (2009, Avensan town hall (33))