Bertrand Delacroix Gallery presents Bestiary, a solo exhibition of new sculptures and drawings by distinguished French artist, Quentin Garel. Bestiary is Garel’s second solo exhibition at BDG. It follows the success of Garel’s US solo debut, Gueule De Bois (May 2013). The new collection will include limited edition bronze sculptures, unique carvings in wood and large charcoal drawings on paper. Garel is internationally renowned for his distinctive bronze animal busts and skulls with perfected patinas that resemble wood and bone.

Garel’s monumental subjects range from the busts of monkeys, fish and giraffes to bird and crocodile skulls. Garel begins each piece by drawing numerous charcoal sketches to plan the piece - these preparatory studies are unique pieces of art that will be included in the exhibition. These meticulously rendered drawings offer an illuminating glimpse into the artist’s method. It is evident that the drawings come from the hands of a talented sculptor; they are almost 3-dimensional in their careful depiction of each angle, movement and gesture. Afterwards, Garel masterfully carves his bold pieces in wood (or sometimes Styrofoam) using a chainsaw, among other tools. Finally, his pieces are cast into bronze at the Bocquel Foundry, France’s leading foundry. The remarkably executed patinas on the finished sculptures truly distinguish Garel’s work; the bronzes appear to be ancient fossils, real wood or bone – often, it is necessary to touch the pieces to distinguish their true mediums.

Born in 1975 in France, the young artist now lives and works in Normandy. Garel has been commissioned for several notable public works, including a series of sculptures in the Public Gardens in Lille and another in the garden of the Tour Carpe Diem in Paris. Since his first solo show in 2002 in Paris, Garel has received several prestigious awards for drawing and sculpting from institutions such as the Salon De Mai in Paris, the Académie des Beaux-Arts and the Salon d’art contemporain de Montrouge. Garel will attend the opening reception on November 6.