Through a work close to that of a silversmith, Yvan Mercier, known as Meyv, sculpts and forges pieces as majestic as they are aesthetic. An ironworker and passionate sculptor, he shapes steel, copper, bronze, silver and gold to give life to his imagination. Let’s meet this sculptor whose work is a favorite amongst KAZoART collectors.
K. Hello Meyv. Thank you for agreeing to sit down and speak with us today! When and how did you develop your interest in this particular craft?
Since I was a child, I have always had the ability to work with my hands and I have always had a creative mind.
K. You were first interested in glass decoration before abandoning this medium in favor of metal. Why did you do this and what did you learn from it?
For me, glass is too cold and does not allow me to sculpt in massive volumes of an impressive size. I thus discovered engraving and the technique of bas relief without knowing that I was going to become a sculptor thereafter. I was only 17 years old at the time!
Bronze Sculpture (16 x 8 cm)
K. You learned blacksmithing on your own and then became an ironworker and restorer. Can you tell us about some of your achievements and projects ?
I worked on the restoration of the mausoleum of René Viviani, Prime Minister under Raymond Poincaré. I have also carried out numerous restorations for collectors and auction houses with pieces of ironwork from the Art Nouveau and Art Deco periods of 1910-1930 such as pieces by the ironworkers, Edgar Brandt, Raymond Subes, Louis Katona, or Paul Kiss.
K. Always keen on working with your hands, you made a career change to become a sculptor. What was the catalyst?
It was a friend who suggested that I participate in an art exhibition. As the organizer of the event, she was very involved in the art scene in the Vendée. Only at the time, I was still working as an ironworker and only had my collection of Art Deco style interior furniture to show. I wanted to offer something much more personal and artistic.
Bronze Sculpture (44 x 15 x 10 cm)
So I accepted the challenge and bought myself a lump of clay, even though I had never made a sculpture in my life! And it was a revelation. I understood that I had the eye of a sculptor and that the work of volume was in me. Then I had to transform these clay sculptures into bronze and this was also a big turning point in my work since I had never worked with bronze.
Bronze Sculpture (27 x 11 x 8 cm)
I learned these new techniques in a few weeks. But several months of work were necessary to realize the eight works that I was going to present at the exhibition. This first event was a great success and confirmed me in this new path that I was on!
K. What/who are your inspirations? And how do you choose your subjects?
I am passionate about history and in particular about ancient civilizations. I am a great admirer of figurative and even hyperrealistic sculpture. I do not have a choice of subject strictly speaking. On the other hand, I develop my own style, the “fragmented” rendering, in fragments, like an ancient testimony. I aspire to bring out a sense of timelessness in my sculptures.
Bronze Sculpture (25 x 10 cm)
K. What are your current projects?
I am currently working on several public commissions. I will also launch a new collection combining sculpture, forging, bronze and goldsmithing in large format. To be continued!
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