Bronze Sculpture
Nobe Babayan
New to ENCORE 2024!
About The Artist
As long as I can remember, I have loved art in every form, but my true passion has always been sculpting. Although I grew up as part of a working class family in the developing nation of Armenia, I was fortunate to discover this passion and have it cultivated during the early years of my childhood. My father, a hard worker who struggled to provide for his family, inspired and encouraged me. Despite our financial difficulties, my father always found ways to purchase the supplies I needed to support my artistic endeavors. He believed in me, and his continuous encouragement and inspiration molded me into the sculptor that I have become. Eternally grateful for the ability to create art, I use sculpting as an outlet, a way to communicate my feelings and life experiences. Often, I also draw from my modest beginnings to inform the art that I develop. For me, art is a way of life, and I enjoy every second that I spend creating my pieces.
My work always begins with the clay, and I am ceaselessly fascinated with how a simple, raw substance can turn into something unique, powerful, and completely different from its original form. After getting a feel for the quality, texture, and consistency of the clay, I focus on bringing my ideas and design to fruition. At this point in the process, I am able to allow my imagination, creativity, and sense of humor to take shape. Often, it is during these moments that I experiment with merging human forms with animal forms to develop pieces that challenge people to see the art from different perspectives and to create their own definitions of the sculptures. On many occasions, texture becomes a focal point when I create a piece. Because some people have a richer experience of life through their sense of touch, I consider this when developing an artwork. Therefore, many of my sculptures are not smooth, but they are tactile and rough to the touch. Making the mold and pouring the bronze for the sculpture are the next steps, and the only part of the process in which I employ the help of others. I do, however, develop my own patina. Making original patina is such an important part of my creative process because I am able to formulate distinctive colors. When the patina is complete, it often is so out of the ordinary that other artists have requested that I apply it to their sculptures. Respecting the integrity of my process, however, I always decline because I take much pleasure in creating sculptures that are uniquely reflective of who I am as an artist.
Inspired by my family, artists of all genres, and humanity, I aim to create sculptures that motivate people to reflect upon the important elements of life. Additionally, I hope that people are also able to see some of influences that I see within my works – love, fear, history, fantasy, dreams, struggles, and even the pop culture and movies of my childhood such as King Kong and Cleopatra. I take great pride in watching as people appreciate and relate to my art, and I love the way that creating art affords me the opportunity to meet wonderful people and share my passion for expressing myself through this medium. I hope to continue to create meaningful works that inspire and affect people in the most positive ways. As others experience my art, I want them to laugh, relax, and realize that life is a precious gift and that stress and worry wastes valuable time and energy that could instead be used to enjoy life’s beauty.
