Two Spanish sculptors, Joan Coderch and Javier Malavia, initially met while working for the same porcelain company. After discovering their shared affinities in the artistic field and personal life, they embarked together in a journey to the world of figurative art, taking them to several benchmark maestros such as Maillol, Rodin, Marini and Bourdelle.
They decided to create their own studio, Coderch & Malavia Sculptors, in 2015. Their figurative work revolves around human beings, creating powerful figures in 3D, skilfully molded in bronze sculptures. It blends the traditional techniques with modern attitudes.
Working from live models, they start with 3D sketches, delicately tweaking the pose to arrive at the desired outcome. The sculpture is then modeled in clay before casting in bronze. The results have a theatrical flair to their poses, combined with incredible realistic anatomy that is unique to Coderch and Malavia.
The duo views their work as an expression of human emotion and feeling and they are interested in the 3D aspect of their work, saying “The human being is three-dimensional, that is probably the main reason why we are attracted to sculpture, it is the closest artistic representation of ourselves,” the sculptors told My Modern Met.
