About me: Welcome to the timeless yet contemporary world of sculpture.... Sculpture is my passion!

I'm almost 60 years old (born in Paris in 1954) - and see myself first as a sculptor and second as a person who has lived a full life: former dancer, former translator, designer and sculpture teacher, but also mother, dog lover, poet, occasional photographer, songwriter, web designer, co-organizer for many years of an international annual Festival, concerned "world citizen" who worked on a number of community art projects such as the Arte Para Todos project organised by the United Nations of Honduras, or the Vale of Belvoir Arts Projects including the 3Rs: Reclaimed, Recycled, Raw Sculpture Trail.

A bit of a puzzle to some perhaps (accent-wise) in that I grew up as a world citizen (first few months in France, then 6 years in the US, then back to France for 11 years, then back in the US for 8 years, then back to France for 3 years, then England for the last 24 years... with forays to Montana for a bit, and to many other places throughout). My mother was Dutch (raised in Indonesia), my father is French (born in Japan and raised in Greece). Both of their backgrounds influenced my life and my education - academic and otherwise - tremendously.

While you can see samples of existing sculptures I have for sale (original and limited edition work) as well as previous commissions elsewhere in this site by clicking on headings below, in this page I've concentrated on presenting my curriculum vitae (or resumé) and on explaining what makes me tick, the projects I'm working on, etc. 

A short video about the process of creating one type of public artwork (a lifesize sculpture commission) can be viewed first if you wish to get an idea of how I go about things!

EDUCATION AND TRAINING

• BEPC, Lycée International, Saint-Germain en Laye, France, 1969
  
• Baccalauréat (philosophy and languages major), Cours Vauvenargues, Paris, France, 1972
  
• Sculpture and Foundry studies (clay modeling, wood and stone carving, plaster and bronze casting), Venice Sculpture Studio (under Martine Vaugel), California, USA, 1975-1982
  
• Graphic Design studies, Art Bureau, Los Angeles, California, 1981-1983
  
• Sculpture course, Atelier de Métal, Beaux-Arts, Paris, France, 1984-1986
  
• Web Design & Internet Marketing studies & projects 1998 - 1999 - 2000
  
• Numerous PR, Marketing and Communication workshops
  
• Awarded Master of Fine Art International Practice degree (and Post-Graduate degree in Fine Art) from University of the Creative Arts (UCA, formerly KIAD or Kent Institute of Art & Design), Canterbury, England, 2006. See MFA pages (which need bringing up to date!) and Artist of the Silk Road monumental trio of sculptures
  

PRINCIPAL SHOWS AND AWARDS

• International Art Academy of Los Angeles Exhibit, 1979 - Awarded Jury's Selection Prize
  
• Muse and Friends Retrospective Show, Tillard, France, 1984
  
• Salon du Printemps, Association Nationale des Artistes Français, April 1985
  
• Musée des Beaux-Arts, Paris, France,1986 - Awarded Prix de Portrait Paul Louis Weiller
  
• Saint Hill European Arts Festival 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1999, 2002, 2003
  
• Chelsea Arts Society Exhibition, London, England, 1992, 1993, 1994 - Sculpture Award 1992
  
• Brighton Marina Exhibition, England, 1994
  
• Worthing Museum, England, June-September 1995
  
• The Grange Museum, Rottingdean, England, 1996
  
• Chequer Mead Arts Centre, East Grinstead, England, 1997
  
• Opum Magnus Gallery, March-August 1998
  
• Isaac Hayes Tribute Event, Chicago, Illinois, USA, 1998
  
• Gallery International - 1st Spring Show, East Grinstead, England, 1999
  
• RAC Sponsored Autumn Show - East Grinstead, England, 1999
  
• China Changchun International Sculpture Symposium 2001 July-September 2001
  See pics of "East Meets West" - the monumental sculpture created at the Symposium plus some pics of China! Also read an article in the China Daily online
  
• Harbin China Snow Sculpture Symposium 2001 December 2001)
  Team of 3: Chinese sculptors Zhang Yaxi and Bai Yuliang plus Laury Dizengremel participated in this symposium and won 3rd prize!
  
• Faces of China Show within Carl Roehrig's Studio Show 21 September 2002, Hamburg, Germany Two person show
  
• The Waitrose Gallery 1-31 March 2003, Western Road, Brighton
  Faces of China Solo Exhibition - click here for overall pictures or here for details and prices
  
• A-Gallery 8 -14 June 2003, Merton Hall Road, Wimbledon, London - Click here to see my monumental mixed media installation entitled: "Dream Catcher Tribe: Guardians of My Soul"
• "L'Eté des Sculpteurs" an exhibition of sculpture, 21 June-21 September, Chateau de Bois Guilbert, France
• International Sculpture Symposium, An Giang Vietnam 2003 , Nui Sam, An Giang Province - click here for pics
• International Sculpture Symposium, Hue Vietnam 2004, along the bank of the Perfume River in the ancient imperial city of Hue - click here for pic of "Maze of Love & Friendship" or here for "Boat People" steel sculpture.
• Arte Para Todos 2004 Tegucigalpa, Honduras - an event sponsored by the United Nations Development Team and the First Lady of Honduras - click here for pics
• Future Hope in HSBC London Headquarters 2005 - a group exhibition and auction in April 2005, in the Canary Wharf HSBC building, to benefit Future Hope, an Indian foundation helping children in Calcutta.
• South East Open Studios (SEOS), Kent, England, 2004, 2005, 2006
  
• 1st International Sculpture Festival of Kunming, 2005. Click here for pics of "Tsunami Memorial" in concrete and bronze.
• "Visual Artists for Human Rights" exhibition, Westwood Gallery, Manhattan - United Nations Human Rights Summit, New York, USA, August 2006
  
• "Conversations" - Master of Fine Art International Practice degree exhibition, University College of the Creative Arts, Canterbury, Kent, 8-14 September 2006. See Artist Statement, also Artists of the Silk Road Series, as well as making the monumental Artists of the Silk Road trio and Artists of the Silk Road in Devon
• Canterbury Festival UCCA Showcase, Canterbury, Kent, October, 2006
  
• Johnson Art Collection gallery, Visual Artists for Human Rights show, Melrose Avenue, Los Angeles, California, October-November 2006
  
• "Art & Soul" - group exhibition with approx. 30 other artists in each edition, along with Anthony Gormley in 2006  and  Damien Hirst in 2007, in support of Demelza (Hospice Care for Children) Rhapsody House Gallery, Pantiles, Tunbridge Wells, Kent, October 2006 and 2007. 
• Visual Roots - BBC Brighton Headquarters (Lead Artist) - 28 April - 30 June 2007
• Beltane Gallery presents "Laury Dizengremel", March - June 2007
  
• Spring 2008 Sculpture Show - Broomhill Sculpture Park (North Devon Festival), Muddiford, Devon (exhibtion still ONGOING)
• Winter 2008-2009 - Dana Gallery, Missoula, Montana
• February 2009 - Wine & Chocolate Art Exhibition, Seeley Lake, Montana, USA (awarded 1st prize by Kay Grissom Kiely, co-curator Montana Museum of Art & Culture)
• May 2010 - Loon & Fish Art Exhibition, Seeley Lake, Montana (USA
  

PRINCIPAL PRIVATE ART COLLECTORS

• Dr. Berman, Culver City Obstetrics, California, USA
  
• Mr. and Mrs. Ernie Wilkens, Toronto, Canada
  
• Ms. Laurel Koftinov, Los Angeles, California, USA
  
• Mr. Ian Krieger, Venice, California, USA
  
• Dr. Philippe Remy, Paris, France
  
• Arthur Hubbard, West Hollywood, California
  
• Mr. and Mrs. Eugene Caplin, Beverly Hills, California, USA
  
• Dr. Owen Dennis, Vice President Chiropractic Association, Dublin, Ireland
  
• Mr. Oliver Richardson, New York, USA
  
• Mr. and Mrs. Brett Stevens, Dublin, Ireland
  
• Cathy & Steven Bird / Liz Bailey Family, Forest Row, East Sussex, England
  
• Mr. and Mrs. Martin Ostertag, Stuttgart, Germany,
  
• Mr. Peter Schouten, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
  
• Mr. and Mrs. Alastair Gordon, Felbridge, West Susssex, England
  
• Mr. and Mrs. Nigel Ridpath, Horsham, West Sussex, England
  
• Mrs. Margaret Lomas née Luxmore, Devon, England
  
• Mr. Jason Ellis, Gibraltar
  
• Mr and Mrs Robin Ellis, London, England
  
• Mr and Mrs Adrian Whicheloe, Bristol, England
  
• Mr and Mrs Scott Smith, Charlotte, North Carolina - USA see Portrait of "Cooper" Labrador Retriever
  
• Mr. John Caudwell, Stoke, England
  
• Mr. and Mrs Greg Cassar, Hartfield, Sussex, England
  
• Mr. and Mrs Reginald Webb, England
  
• Mr and Mrs James Martino, Oakton, Virginia, USA
  
• Mr and Mrs Jensen, Wimbledon, England
• Mr and Mrs Marc Bailey, Surrey, England

PRINCIPAL CORPORATE, PUBLIC & MUSEUMS COLLECTORS

• Presidential Collection of Mr. François Mitterrand , France
  
• World Literacy Crusade - USA, bronze sculpture portraits of Isaac Hayes, John Travolta and Chick Corea
  
• Gordon Lamb Marketing Group, bust of Mr. Gordon Lamb, Chesterfield / Sheffield Showrooms, England
  
• Changchun Museum, Dancer and Cooper Labrador bust, Jilin Province, China
• HSBC Headquarters, Canary Wharf, London, England, Artists of the Future in glass
• For Dementia, Janet Jason Award, London, England
• Sunset Country Club, Clydesdale Horse Trophy Sculpture, St Louis, Missouri
• Tony "Socks" Byrne Lifesize Commemorative Sculpture, Drogheda, Ireland
• ATP Tennis Terracotta Warriors, for TMC Shanghai 2007, now at Wimbledon Museum
• Joey Maher Lifesize Commemorative Sculpture, World Champion Handball, Drogheda, Ireland
• "Log Henge - Spirits of the Forest" Community sculpture, Seeley Lake, Montana, USA, in association with Monte Dolack, Merrily Dunham and Jennifer Dyer
  

A FEW NOTABLE PROJECTS
The Tennis Terracotta Warrior project for the ATP / Tennis Master Cup of Shanghai was definitely a highlight for me. Every single commission for collectors / clients is thrilling, but I have to say that I am proudest of my Artists of the Silk Road sculpture series which was created  the context of a Masters of Fine Art International Practice degree course completed in Sept. 2006 at the University College of the Arts at Canterbury in Kent (England).

OTHER PROJECTS, PAST or IN PROGRESS

in this context I also have a new  Wordpress blog: http://belvoirartist.wordpress.com/ which you may find interesting.

And launched in 2011:



Click on the image above for  info about the "Belvoir 3Rs" Reclaimed, Recycled, Raw Sculpture Trail, which resulted from a national sculpture competition and a sculpture symposium held during Easter 2011.

Crown of the Continent Sculpture Trail: With the first sculpture up in Seeley Lake completed and unveiled on 3 September 2010 - see "Log Henge: Spirits of the Forest" - I am looking to raise funds in Montana to get the second sculpture up on the trail, hopefully an equestrian sculpture by fellow Alpine Artisan friend and artist Merrily Dunham, or a huge basket sculpture by Jennifer Dyer.

Rustic Artistic: Designs of rustic furniture and accessories in partnership with my husband Joe Caneen. See example below and more examples here.

China - 2001-2011: Projects in China following the successful China Changchun International Sculpture Symposium included attending the International Sculpture Convention 2003 as the leader of the European Delegation of sculptors who had taken part in the past. See also the large-scale outdoor sculpture  created at the 1st International Sculpture Festival of Kunming, China 2005, entitled "Tsunami Memorial".

See a few sculpture design ideas here - these are awaiting a generous collector's fancy or an urban commission and show the direction some of my work is taking!

"20 Heads of the Year 2000" - this may turn into 2020 or even 2030!!!!
Completed "Heads": John Travolta, Isaac Hayes and Chick Corea, all three of which sat for their sculpture portraits. Anyone interested in helping establish contact with other inspiring figures, please e-mail me.

Masters of Fine Art International Practice degree course: Started this in October 2004 and  graduated in September 2006. Click here to visit the MFA section.

		LECTURING During the WINTER (2001-2002) I was invited to do a lecture tour in China as a professional sculptor (the poster on the left was designed by Jian Dian Kun, head of the computer design team for North East Normal University in Changchun, Jilin Province, China). I lectured in Changchun (Jilin Province), Harbin (Heilongjiang Province) and Dalian (Liaoning Province) to the fine art and design students of 4 different universities. Also delivered further lectures in Chongqing (formerly Sichuan Province) in 2004-2005 and Kunming (Yunnan Province) in 2005. Also in Chongqing again in 2007, 2009, 2010 and 2011.
		TEACHING I started teaching a very small selection of pupils from Greenfields School in Sussex at GCSE and A level back in 1995 in my own studio. Since then I've taken 2 to 4 students almost every year for at least one term through a sculpture module for their A levels, again in my own studio. I've also taught a one-week summer workshop at Greenfields with students aged 10 to 70, besides conducting lots of other workshops around the world.  I'm always happy to give sculpture instruction to new people, friends or scupture students when asked. Teaching opened up a whole new realm of understanding of sculpture for me and I love it. I am confident I can teach anyone the basics of portrait or figure sculpture, and the basics of 3D artwork and always welcome questions or enquiries. To the left is the second sculpture ever produced by one of my students, Clemency Scarfe-Beckett, now a prominent designer. In more recent times I've taught sculpture workshops in Somerset, Lincolnshire and Leicestershire in both primary schools and secondary schools.
		PERSONAL MILESTONES (in no particular order) - Having President Mitterrand inaugurate my sculpture of Jean Jaurès (picture at top of page) in a town square in France - Discovering the delightful poetry of Paul Geraldy, (discovering poetry per se...) - Getting a letter from the Irish tax office in Dublin Castle telling me that my work was dubbed "of cultural merit", so I could avail myself of the special tax status when I take up permanent residence in Ireland (one of these days...) - Climbing a volcano on the island of Maui with my small son Ilya on my back (the colours of the sky...) - Drinking my first glass of vodka at age 13 in Moscow (still behind the iron curtain at that time) on a school trip from France - vodka is not my favourite but the memory still lingers filled with balalaika tunes - Finding many of the spiritual and practical every-day-life answers I sought in the works of various philosophers, such as Cicero, L. Ron Hubbard and Ken Wilber. - Sunrise through the forest, being driven home 3 hours after delivering my daughter Sophie and looking at her perfect face - Attending a live art performance in Venice, California and turning round to find Dustin Hoffman perched on a radiator right behind me (I remember him, but can't remember the live art...) - Meeting Isaac Hayes, hearing his deep voice.... - Finally having the homebirth I'd always wanted: the result was Chloë or warmth, laughter and talent personified. She's now in her second year at Oxford University! - Working on John Travolta's portrait in clay for the "20 Heads" project on 2x3 hours of sleep in 3 days... (gee, though, having him pose for me was such an honour!) - Editing the "Aeon" poetry anthology with Ed Long - I was obsessed with the work in a positive way and had such a great sense of accomplishment - Seeing the pour for my first pieceof sculpture  being cast in bronze... the incandescent light, the heat! - Tossing 3 inches of hair (my hair had just been cut) to the side while whispering to A... - Singing in public for the first time thanks to the insistence of singer Gloria Rusch. Thank you! Actually, there are so many milestones. Sometimes it also feels like there have been different lives within this lifetime already (living in so many different places, each with its own set of friends and aquaintances, and yet retaining the continuity of people I've known throughout). If you want to know more about me, see my monumental sculptures or sculptures available now and some previous portrait and bust commissions, including Isaac Hayes, Chick Corea and John Travolta (for charity). Also read some of my poetry if poetry is your thing. And if you're after a romantic 8th Wedding Anniversary or 19th Wedding Anniversary gift with the appropriate bronze theme - click here.

"La sculpture se fait comme une embrassade - a deux mains - comme l'amour." MAX ERNST 1960

which roughly translates to:

"Sculpture should be created the same way you hug somebody, the same way you make love - with both hands." MAX ERNST 1960