DANIEL FIRMAN : HOW TO BALANCE AN ELEPHANT

daniel firman is introduced to you today by kala. she is one of my cosmopolitan readers turned guest poster. born in the philippines, she lived in qatar, italy and saudi arabia before settling in super cool paris. she is a real life multi-tasker: free lance web designer, writer, artist and blogger (since 2000!). i think her style is a perfect fit for the little aesthete. i hope you like her, too!

you all know about the elephant in the room. it’s an obvious truth everyone tries to ignore. except, of course, when the elephants we’re talking about belong to conceptual artist daniel firman.

the french artist’s gravity-defying elephants appeared at the palais de tokyo and chateau de fontainebleau in 2008, in his show titled wursa. against the backdrop of the richly-decorated rooms of the castle, a huge elephant balanced delicately on its trunk is quite an enthralling and unforgettable sight.

in 2012, the elephant reappeared in vienna and paris, this time occupying the room sideways.

firman has the ability to suspend movement, time and energy in his pieces. his sculptures of people, made from plaster, hover somewhere between dancing and falling.

his pieces are minimal yet powerful. he is unafraid to explore several outlets and media of contemporary art. he does photography, light sculpture, installation, performance, and many others.

i love an artist who isn’t confined to galleries and spreads out to reach a larger audience. his fashion collaborations have been featured in lyon, in the louis vuitton store, as well in paris, in the christian lacroix boutique.

if all these photos have you at the edge of your seat, you’ll be glad to hear the news. he will open a solo show at the musée d’art contemporain in lyon sometime this year. as soon as they release the dates for his show, i’m booking a ticket to lyon. because daniel firman’s talent is one elephant i can’t (and won’t) ignore.