Kim Bernadas
Biography
Kim Bernadas works in both figure and portrait sculpture using a classical approach. She uses gesture, proportion, and the uniqueness of each individual to achieve an uncanny likeness of her subjects. With a background as a physical therapist and a former ballet instructor, Kim has had a life long study in the dynamics of the human form. Her artistic training began at New Orleans Academy of Fine Art in 1991, where she presently teaches portrait and figurative sculpture. Her professional career has included many public and private commissions; most recently the lifesize “Birth of a Muse” for the City of New Orleans, Baby Pan for the Soniat Gardens, and the Walter Dumas bust for Baton Rouge Community College. She was also featured in the New Orleans Magazine and named the 2005 WYES Artist of the Year.
Artist Statement
Although my dedication to sculpture has been, in the grand scale of all things, very brief, my obsession with the nature of the human form has been life long. About 20 years ago, I found myself looking to create movement and art once more and stumbled upon a sculpture class. With that first piece of clay in my hands, I knew that I had found my new “high”, the ethereal connection back to the beauty of the figure and the portrait.
Portraits are my most challenging and rewarding works. Every one feels fresh, as though I am beginning for the first time. My approach first and foremost relies on a genuine understanding of the essence of each subject. Before commencing on the portrait, I like to speak to close friends and family whenever possible.
Drawing from this new knowledge, I begin each session asking the powers within to inspire me both physically and spiritually.
The reward for me is in the knowing.. creating this special connection between artist and her subject, and working to reveal the beauty that lies inside each of us. It is a pure and yet intimate process that humbles me, and one that I continually feel privileged to be part of.
Kim Bernadas works primarily in bronze and fired clay, and welcomes public and private commissions for portrait busts, portrait reliefs, all lifesize and monumental figurative sculpture.
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