Le secouriste et son chien

Jan Desmarets captures moments suspended in time, mastering the art of creating the movement and static nature of life all at once. Le Secouriste et son chien , the rescue worker and his dog, is one of a series of sculptures in which Desmarets’ subjects, cast in bronze, are depicted in motion, always rushing forward, always accompanied by their faithful dogs. The artist regularly explores a wide variety of animal motifs, from horses and dogs to geese, frogs, or storks. Desmarets chooses them for their instant vitality, power, and dynamism. To capture his subject in a ‘freeze-frame’, he omits details and focuses on the essence. The artist questions the relationship between the human and the animal, drawing inspiration from his childhood on the farm in Ghent, Belgium.

Desmarets was born in the Belgian city of Ypres in 1961. He grew up in Wervik, in a family of nine children. From the age of 9, he began working with clay. He first exhibited in 1985, after completing his artistic education at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts of Ghent. His works have also been displayed at numerous galleries and official exhibitions around the world, and are also much sought after for installation in public spaces. Some of his pieces are monumental, measuring over two metres in height. Although influenced by the classic tradition, he gives his sculptures personal proportions and features. His familiarity with casting techniques enables him to transform his ideas freely into a finished artwork. He specialises in bronze casting.
In addition to animals, the artistic practice of Jan Desmarets is also populated by figures from mythology, including the Roman god Janus with his mysterious two faces, and Icarus, who fell into the sea when his wings of wax were melted by the sun. Desmarets exhibited his sculptures at Art Monaco in 2012.