July 2023

We Love Calyxte Campe

We love art and putting the work of our talented friends on a pedestal. This month Calyxte Campe will be unveiling his life size bronze sculptures in an exhibition entitled My Family and Other Animals. The larger pieces will be displayed in the gardens of the Ristorante Alle Scuderie, while his smaller works, including some endearing busts of his wife and young children, will reside in Reschio’s Exhibition Room. Outside, the menagerie will include a herd of wild boar, a magnificent stag and an ostrich. Everything on display will be available for purchase.

Calyxte was born into an artistic family and, from an early age knew that he was destined to paint and sculpt. “Working from life allows me to have a greater impact at a distance,” explains Calyxte. “Connecting with people, animals and scenery in natural life, never from photographs, gives me an infinite source of inspiration. I use the constant variety and change in nature to bring energy to my work.” His studio in Tuscany is a large stone barn next-door to the farmhouse where he, his wife, Decima and their four sons live for part of the year.

He carves in Carrara marble, but the work on show at Reschio, will be his clay sculptures, all cast in bronze, in Florence. The casting is as crucial for Calyxte as the sculpting. He works in wax and then in bronze, making many subtle but important adjustments before creating the patina. His work is part of the permanent collections of the Dana Centre, Washington DC and the V&A, London. He has had solo exhibitions in New York, London, Geneva, Gstaad and Florence.

For those interested in learning more about Calyxte’s work and inspirations come to Meet the Artist on Saturday 1st July, 2023 and we know that you will love his art too