Mauro Corda (French b.1960) Petit Merou Limited Edition Bronze With Nickel Plate C1995

Installation: 161cm x 150cm x 76cm (63.5in x 59in x 30in) 

Fish: 50cm x 99cm x 24cm (19.75in x 39in x 9.5in) 

Mauro Corda is a contemporary French sculptor. Born into a family tradition of Italian stonecutting, the scene was set for his own artistic preoccupation with three-dimensional form. Corda trained at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts and continues to live and work in Paris. His work has been exhibited internationally, and he has received honours including the scholarship of the Casa Velasquez, Madrid

In Petit Merou, Corda has turned his attention to a marine form. The Merou (grouper) is sensitively rendered, but on a surprisingly large scale, and this sense of drama is extended in its presentation. A high-shine silver patina achieved by applying nickel plate to the bronze catches the eye, while the specific installation case allows the sculpture to be suspended within the space and surrounded by strings of silver beads, breaking up the surface of the sculpture and adding a sense of movement.