Italian sculptor Paola Grizi has spent her entire life immersed in the art world. As the granddaughter of a well known Italian painter and sculptor and the niece of a ceramicist, her creativity was fostered from a young age. This has translated into a successful career as an artist, where she is particularly known for her unique terracotta and bronze sculptures.

For many years Grizi has produced incredible sculptures of faces that seem to emerge from the pages of books. Whether sculpted in terracotta or cast in bronze, she subtly manipulates the compositions to evoke emotion. These mysterious faces seem to appear from the ether, sometimes casting a meditative gaze and at other times lacking any eyes at all.

Grizi skillfully manipulates her mediums of choice, with her sculptures continually evolving into more complex pieces of architecture. The pages of the books appear to get thinner as the “paper” flips and folds to create new dynamic compositions. Interestingly, her focus on these literary pieces of art recalls her own passion for the written word—Grizi studied Classics and Italian Literature, even working as a journalist and editor prior to focusing on her art career.

“I hope that whoever looks at my work doesn’t remain unmoved by what they see. I’d like for the emotion and experience generated by a sculpture to move through the artwork, arriving straight to the heart and sensibility of the viewer. And, if possible, to bring forward its meaning, also taking in what’s given by the spectator, in order to generate a continuum that, over time, is enriched by the profound emotions and humanity of everyone.”

Paola Grizi: website / instagram
Via: mymodernmet.com