Ybah is a French sculptor who devotes her artistic practice to the study of bodies, anatomical expressions, and the evolution of our bodies through the cycle of life.
The body at the center of her creativity
Ybah arrived in Paris at the age of 6 in 1956. Her calling as an artist was expressed in large part thanks to the influence of her grandfather, who happened to be a woodcarver. From 1976 to 1981, as a young adult, she started off in the world of fashion and clothing design. Ybah is passionate about drawing, which is a way for her to connect to the human body and people in a profound way. In 1991, she created a line of rag dolls that were a great success.
The artist gives us her artistic vision
"...] Privileging the fragility of aging bodies by revealing the surplus of flesh, the fullness of breasts, the depth of wrinkles or the tensions of muscles, are all signs that testify to the story of a body that has weathered the storms of life. Undeniably, the scars of time are inscribed in our flesh and in our eyes.
A corner of the lip, a distant look, strong and expressive hands, everything interests me in bodies and faces. [...] "
Sculpture was love at first sight
In 1994, Ybah became completeely infatuated with the picturesque streets of Prague and produced his first painting. But it was in Rome, in front of Michelangelo's Pieta, that his desire to sculpt truly bacame apparent. To become a master sculpture will be his vocation, and the way he truly is able to communicate and bring his true emotions to life! From 1993 to 2008, Ybah acquires different techniques such as modeling, drawing, engraving, painting, direct carving, casting and silicon.
From 2009 to 2012, the sculptor joined the École Nationale des Arts Appliqués (National School of Applied Arts) Duperré in Paris. In 2013, she attended a training course at the Lycée Languier to acquire foundry techniques.
The close relationship the artist has with the materials she uses
"This is how the earth, under my own two hands, gives birth to forms that come out of my imagination or are fed by my captive gaze of the model. And there, volumes, curves and counter-curves spring up instinctively, born of a flood of strong emotions. [...] "
