Meet Gaëlle Hintzy-Marcel | Sculptor

We had the good fortune of connecting with Gaëlle Hintzy-Marcel and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Gaëlle, why did you decide to pursue a creative path?
Because I am hypersensitive, enthusiastically manual and because I got the opportunity to dedicate myself to sculpture.
Yes, I am hypersensitive and have ideas popping up all the time. I learned over the years to channel my thoughts and feelings, and have my hands transform them into art.

I love working with my hands, I like to build a sculpture step by step, finding every solution to make it happen the way I want it to be. Never giving up, always learning, absorbing external inspiration but making everything by myself, not letting anyone else interfere with my work.

And for sure I became an artist because I had the opportunity. 20 years ago, I was pursuing a career in communication, dedicating my spare time to sculpture and modeling in an atelier in Paris. A succession of life opportunities made me follow my husband in Jakarta, Moscow, Mumbai and now, New York where I was lucky enough to meet and work with wonderful sculptors who introduced me to bronze and other materials, shared their knowledge, and made me grow on my artistic path.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I am a French Sculptor living in New York after several years in different continents, especially Asia. Over the years, I have been exposed to many different cultures that influenced my life, my thinking, my emotions and my work.
A huge discovery was the interaction between body and mind. I am fascinated each time I realize how the body language speaks for us without filter. And I am constantly overwhelmed by the fantastic tool our body can be, as if our body was a “remote control” to manage our mind.

My work is mainly figurative, I use positions and details of my scultpures bodies to express my thoughts, I like to share key learnings about life, promoting the need to be balanced, audacious, grateful but also in the present (here and now), in order to keep control on our life. I express my incertitudes also, and my thougths in general on femininity or hope. I am obsessed with Freedom.

My favorite materials are Pewter, Bronze and Steel. But not only. I love to experiment all the time with all kind of materials, as ideas pop up. For example, at the moment I am experimenting electromagnetic levitation and shadows. And I am proud to announce that I will be part of the Art Salon called “Art Bath” at the end of April, presenting an installation of my Levitating Sculptures.

My best recognition was to receive an award from the prestigious ART STUDENT LEAGUE in New York, in the semi- abstract category for one of my pewter sculptures.

My biggest challenge was to organise, last June, after all this pandemic pertubances, a Solo Exhibition.
I was so happy to overcome my fears and apprehensions, to be able to build a successful solo exhibition, despite covid restrictions and all.

What I learned the most over the years: “the more I know the more I realise I do not know… “ and trust me I experience it everyday in my studio! But I also learned to cultivate a grain of madness, that is so important in art and in life!

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I would first do a tour of manhattan by city bike. Beginning in Central Park and down to the far South in Battery Park, with little halt evrywhere. Then i will have them focus on museum : Guggenheim, Met Museum, Moma, Whitney Museum and Fotografiska.
Then, i will do a tour in Brooklyn till the far Bushwick neighborhood to see some nice street art and have a lively brunch.
And, i will recommend a show or broadway or at Lincoln (Opera or Ballet). i would definitely try to get tickets to the BAM or Joyce for a modern dance performance, and a basket ball game at Madison Square Garden.
I would definitely check the website : www.artbathnyc.com in order to book a art salon event in the blue building, one of the best experience i ever had.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I want to thanks my husband and kids, and largely all my family for all the support encouragement and enthusiasm they give me everday.

Friends also deserve a big part of my gratitude, they support my work, talk about it, give me feedbacks and opportunities, sometimes even buy it. All wonderful good vibes!

Finally, every sculptor, every artist, every professional or non professional, i have met and worked with in different part of the world, each of them gave me so much! Ajis Saleh in Jakarta, Vadim Kirillov in Moscow, Radhika Vashani in Mumbai, and Oscar Garcia in New York, to name a few!

Website: Gaellehintzymarcel.com

Instagram: Gaellehintzysculpture