Wesley Wofford
Biography
Starting his career in Hollywood, California as a Prosthetic Artist, Emmy and Academy Award winning sculptor Wesley Wofford now resides in Cashiers, North Carolina. In 2002, Wesley became dissatisfied with the medium of film and moved to the mountains of North Carolina with his wife and two children to pursue Fine Art Sculpture full time. He built Wofford Sculpture Studio, a 2,300 sq. ft. barn that is nestled with his home on a mountaintop. The studio is filled with sculptures at various stages of completion, the large commissions occupying the same space as the portraits, gallery pieces, and maquette studies for submissions. While in the studio, he is submerged in the work and it all speaks and informs both him and one another. His style emphasizes the sculptor’s presence, and his studio time is divided between commissioned works and exploring his own compositions. His diverse body of work and his unique vision for sculptural language produce powerful commissions. Wesley’s independent works provoke passionate responses and he is known for his intimate, emotionally charged portraits. He is also a newly elected professional member of The National Sculpture Society, the oldest sculpture organization in the United States.
Artist Statement
“With portraits specifically, of course the most important aspect is capturing the essence of the person. Finding that glimmer of life, the soul behind the eyes, is so much of both the challenge and the satisfaction of creating a good portrait. But equally as important is that the sculpture stands alone as a work of art in itself, regardless of the likeness. The overall philosophy stated below informs all of my work, including my portrait commissions.”
“I think the greatest sculpture collections have a variety of styles and mediums as well as subject matter. A well-rounded collection is both aesthetically pleasing and creates an interactive timeline of the evolution of sculptural thought. The collector is stimulated by the contrast of one style to the next and their collection reflects the evolving nature of the word ‘sculpture’. I think a great classically inspired figurative piece becomes all the more emotionally powerful when juxtaposed amongst more contemporary, abstracted pieces. As a result of these thoughts, I have endeavored to create this contrast within one cohesive body of work.”
With his more classically inspired pieces, Wesley aims to translate the experience of what it is to be a human animal in a secular society—exploring themes that are basic and primal as well as emotionally complex. These compositions contain a deeper emotional content and explore specific feelings and sentiments. His more abstracted figurative pieces speak in a more ‘modern’ voice and engage the viewer to relate to the larger abstraction of the human condition. They also create the contrasting aesthetic dialogue within a collection. They are dynamic and passionate, exploring more bold color and producing a rhythmic movement of form and texture.
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