With soulful irony Henk van Straaten has crafted wood, stone and bronze with such sublime tenderness.
Born in the Netherlands in 1935, he currently works from his studio on a farm in southern France. His working aesthetic, sometimes reminiscent of Henry Moore or Brancusi, is eloquently distinguished from them by his own more figurative yet whimsical re-scaling of the human form. An ironic sense of humor has infused his work with unabashed joy and wonder.
The reclining nudes have a blissful and often proud serenity. Although formed in stone, colors and textures glow warmly, while angles and curves blend in a comfortable harmony. The figures are rendered with monumental massiveness yet many seem gracefully fluent with the lightness of laughter.