PATRICK LAROCHE
Sculptor Meilleur Ouvrier de France
Patrick Laroche, born in 1959, is a Franco-Swiss artist. In 1985, he left France to settle in Belgium and embark on an artistic career. Shortly after his arrival, he met sculptor Roger de Jonckheere, winner of the first Prix de Rome. Under his tutelage, he learned the techniques of marble cutting, molding, enlarging and pantographing, skills that would become fundamental to his work. From then on, he devoted himself fully to sculpture. His work in stone, bronze and wood marks out the different directions of his artistic research.
His work quickly gained recognition, and in 1990 he was commissioned by the Réunion des Musées Nationaux (RMN) to carry out various reproduction and enlargement projects, including the reproduction of the Victory of Samothrace for the Louvre Museum.
His interest in ancient art led him to take part in some large-scale archaeological projects, as in 1991 when he joined the Topkapi Palace project in Istanbul, where he worked on monumental works depicting Apollo, Artemis and Leto in Claros.
In 1992, the French fashion house Chanel commissioned him to design models, following designer Karl Lagerfeld's visit to its workshops.
In 1997, his talent was recognized with the prestigious Meilleur Ouvrier de France award in the Sculptor Practitioner category, for his hand-carved marble bust.
In 2008, after a period of personal photographic work, Patrick Laroche developed an interest in the interaction between sculpture and public spaces, thus initiating a transition towards a more contemporary aesthetic: this was the beginning of the Vegetables series.
Two years later, he created his first colorful, oversized installations in iconic Parisian landmarks such as the Pont Alexandre III, Les Invalides and Place Charles-de-Gaulle. Various solo and group exhibitions followed, notably at major international art fairs such as FIAC in Paris, Art New York, Art Miami and the L.A. Art Show. In 2015, Patrick Laroche was chosen by the French government to represent the French pavilion at the Milan Universal Exhibition.
A few years later, Patrick Laroche decided to return to his favorite materials: stone, bronze and wood. A new desire was born: to fuse functionality and artistic expression.
Inspired by his early archaeological experiences in Turkey and his passion for ancient art, this Mobilier sculptural series plays with forms that dialogue with antiquity, evoking enigmatic structures where doors seem to open onto another world. Through this collection, Patrick Laroche seeks to blur the boundaries between sculpture and furniture, transforming the functional into the poetic.
In a career spanning 35 years, Patrick Laroche has had over a hundred exhibitions. His work is now regularly exhibited. Some of his works are also part of permanent collections in France, Canada, Spain and Poland.