Igor Mitoraj (1944, Oederan – 2014, Paris), Burnt Hands ("Les Mains")

patinated bronze, stone,
height 65 cm including the base
signed and numbered: “Igor MITORAJ EA11/15”; foundry mark on the bottom: ARTCURIAL

The sculpture on offer, numbered as an artist’s proof (E. A. – Epreuve d’Artiste), is a unique collector’s item. “Les Mains” were produced in an edition of 250 pieces, while the sculpture on offer comes from a series of 15 sculptures reserved for the artist.

“Beauty is not an aesthetic category, at least not for me. I have never paid excessive attention to aesthetics when creating my sculptures. If there is beauty in them—if such a thing exists in them—it emerges from feelings, emotions, and dreams. I could say—it emerges from the soul, if that word didn’t sound too lofty.”

Igor Mitoraj, quoted in: Agnieszka Gralińska-Toborek, “(Post)Classicism of Igor Mitoraj,” Warsaw-Toruń 2022, p. 151.