lorenzo quinn

artist biography

lorenzo quinn is one of the world’s leading contemporary sculptors. born in 1966 to the actor anthony quinn and costume designer iolanda addolori, this artist was inspired by the work of his father when he first began developing his highly emotive art style. quinn attended the american academy of fine arts in the 1980s.; after initially pursuing surrealist painting, he realised his passion and ability for sculpture when he created a piece featuring eve within adam’s torso. after this, quinn developed his now world renowned sculpting style.

quinn’s success has been marked by several significant commissions. this began early in his career, including a piece commissioned by the united nations in 1993, and another for the vatican in 1994. many other important commissions have since been completed by quinn, as well as a number of public artworks. as a result, his work can be seen and recognised by numbers of fans that few contemporary artists could claim.

quinn’s style of combining symbolic objects with realistic figures has meant that his work can be used to great effect in representational art. because of this, he has used his art to create messages such as supporting action against climate change.

he continues to produce work to this day, and has seen great success in far-reaching, exclusive art events. some of his most recent work has included a large installation at the venice biennale, which received worldwide attention and admiration.

style

quinn’s work is created through a variety of mediums, including silver, aluminium, bronze and resin, with the artist deciding which materials will be best for each sculpture individually. quinn’s style is inspired by figurative masters such as michelangelo and rodin; his ability to capture anatomical correctness while still evoking emotion and atmosphere in each sculpture is a large part of what has gained him his current recognition and continued growing success.

quinn is perhaps best known for his sculptures featuring hands. the expressiveness of the hand is used to a precise and incredible degree in suggesting a complex scenario or concept. in these sculptures, a hand might be grasping at an object, gesturing in a moment of emotion, or perhaps reaching longingly for another hand. these pieces have been created on both larger and smaller scales during quinn’s extensive sculpting history. quinn’s full figurative work is just as spectacular, however. he will often combine figures with objects or framework in order to create a powerful metaphorical image, using the figure’s position as well as its surrounds.

symbolism is often an important part of quinn’s sculptures. however, he also relies on the emotive nature of the realistic figures in his work. this allows the symbols or iconography to be more easily connected with the emotions of each piece, rather than simply representing a message.