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Studio Bongard
Sculpture by Tara and Sylvain
Tara Ezaguy Bongard
Born in 1970, London, England. With Anglo-Portuguese roots my childhood was shared between England and Portugal, finalizing my studies in England. I continued my passion for drawing throughout travels in America, Central America, Turkey and the Middle East. Settling In Israel for 10 years I apprenticed in woodwork and then glass painting and fusing, returning to live permanently in Portugal in 2005.
In my work and my life I am deeply inspired by the nature that is immediately surrounding me reflecting the infinate perfect forms defined by the natural coloration of the fauna and flora on my pieces which range from decorative to functional.
In my human forms I attach importance to focus on the volumes and shapes so my eye captures the strong fertility of female and male, expressing their volumes whilst maintaining a uniform palette of glazes to accentuate this. These pieces in particular are an anatomic discovery expressing inhibitions and diversity of shapes that we form among humanity. Mostly faceless allows for a direct focus on body movement and language.
Each piece for me is a learning process as a self-taught three dimensional sculptor. I am excessively observant in life and attempt to transmit the importance of that to each piece; every curve or corner even to the blind eye is meant as a “tap on the shoulder” to appreciating what is directly perfect around us in human and natural diversity.
Sylvain Bongard
Born in 1959, Geneva, Switzerland. he moved to Portugal as a child in 1970, only to leave for four years to complete his studies in Germany and England.
Returning permanently home to the Algarve in 1980, he realized his dream to dedicate all his energy to art full time. he have created numerous works for public spaces, exhibitions and private collections in Portugal and abroad.
From a young age I was mesmerized by the animal kingdom and loved to draw, paint and model creatures in a simple form. I was fortunate also to be given the freedom by my parents to have a multitude of animals eventually having the privilege to including a monkey, extensive variety of exotic birds, crocodiles, lizards, a fox and numerous aquariums and terrariums. This part of my life is intrinsically important to my artistic development observing, feeling and breathing the life of the natural world which I was and still am immersed in. I also have a distant fascination with humanity, figure, physiognomy and behaviours and their relationship to nature.
My main medium of choice to create has transformed in the last 25 years arriving at free hand sculpting in stoneware clay. Eventually using a wood fired oven firing at 1300º allows me to reach into an unending array of nature’s colours and textures that truly rewards me. Most of the pieces I create are of a medium to large dimension, achieving the largest pieces through a calculated dissection of the animal form. Although often sketching a rough idea I often work on a spontaneous level adjusting and elaborating on a simple subject. Accepting the failure risk I prefer to start on a sculpture with total freedom making sure to use my instinct and intuition to express what I see or feel about a certain living being or animal. Each work is a journey of discovery to reproduce my mind’s eye on details and expression that has sometimes remained dormant for a long time.
Endemically my pieces accent my sense of humour endeavouring them a connection to humanity in order to create an intimate interrelation with the observers’ eye. This is of importance to me to call an attention towards our fragile natural world whilst retaining a positive aesthetic appeal to the onlooker
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