Body castings, bronze sculptures and fine art studio.
Olivier Duhamel
A New Zealander since 1991, French born Olivier Duhamel lives on Waiheke Island with his wife Marie-France and their 3 children.
The young Duhamel leaves France before his 20th birthday for extensive travels in Europe, in Africa and in the South Pacific. He arrives in New Zealand with his wife in 1986 and leads a successful 15 years career as a software engineer until 2002 at which times he resumes his artistic pursuits.
A self taught hobbyist and long time recreational draughtsman Mr. Duhamel has been a student of Chrystèle Legardinier (etching on copper plates – 1985) and of David Reid (sculptor and founder -2006). He has been a member of the Catherine Mitchell Life Drawing group since 2004.
His principal inspiration is the female nude which he depicts using graphite pencil on paper with great attention to details. Since 2006, Olivier Duhamel also makes small figurative bronze sculptures. The rapid success of these classical and elegant figurines convinces him to become a full time sculptor.
Like few other sculptors, Olivier Duhamel casts his bronze himself in his Waiheke workshop. This allows him to keep full control over the entire creative process. He prides himself on the quality of his castings. More recently, he has been working with Waiheke sculptor and founder, Oliver Stretton-Pow.
Loyal to his inspiration of the human form figurative expression, Olivier also makes amazingly detailed and realistic custom life castings. He is the author of the popular "body casting manual", a guide explaining in easy to follow instructions everything one needs to know to make a plaster sculpture of someone chest.
His studio and workshop is open to visitors by appointment or by contacting one of Waiheke Island tour operators.
Olivier Duhamel’ s creations do not convey any particular message, do not attempt any conceptual or symbolist exploration, nor do they search to be innovative at all cost. They are rather trying to simply capture the beauty and sensuality of his subjects.
His bronze works are sold in galleries across New Zealand and in Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Paris, Marseilles, Nantes, Bruxelles and Shangai.
