Inspirational muse and material of choice: marble has always been a source of fascination for artists from all over the world, who over the centuries have created fine works of sculpture and architecture.
Let’s take a look together at some of the contemporary artists working with marble, whether to realize a social critique, to speak of the complexity of human nuance, to explore the field of technique, or simply to represent beauty.

JAGO

Among the artists working with marble, JAGO is an Italian artist who has been called “the new Michelangelo” and who works in the field of sculpture. His artistic research is rooted in traditional techniques: marble is a noble material used by the artist as a means to address fundamental themes of the era in which he lives.

A contemporary voice now recognized and appreciated internationally, JAGO has been able to reach out to his audience by creating a direct and engaging relationship through video and social networks, showing the creative and producing process in all its parts.

Recent works include “Narciso” which depicts the famous myth of the beautiful hunter son of the god Cephysus and the nymph Liriope, opening a deep reflection between perceived and real. The final interpretation, however, is left to the viewer, as is often the case in the work of the sculptor.

FABIO VIALE

Another Italian sculptor is Fabio Viale. Among the artists who work with marble, Viale stands out for a particular signature: his works, reproductions of famous sculptures, are almost all tattooed. This is not a simple painting, but a special formula, also developed with the help of some chemists, that penetrates the marble in the same way that ink does on our skin. It is a unique approach that provokes both gasps and amazement in the viewer, mixing past and present, heavy and light, sacred and profane, precious and pop.

The work of Fabio Viale also includes other unique creations that ask the observer to abandon his prejudices and change his perspective, such as the first perfectly floating marble boat, “Ahgalla”, but also reproductions of famous works using a technique that imitates polystyrene and makes the marble extremely light, as in his “Mona Lisa”.

HÅKON ANTON FAGERÅS

Dividing his time between his homeland of Norway and Pietrasanta, the Tuscan town renowned for its marble quarries and numerous sculpture workshops, Fagerås certainly ranks among the most interesting artists working with marble in the contemporary world. 

According to Fagerås, marble is the best material for expressing all shades of emotion. It is a noble and refined material that brings to life figures that exist only in an atmosphere of suspended time.

Fagerås is famous for his series of “Pillows“. These are perfectly crafted blocks of marble that have every wrinkle on their surface reproduced with extraordinary precision, making them look as soft and cozy as in reality.

Leave a comment if you enjoyed this article and tell us which of these three great artists’ works impressed you most.