Patrick Laroche
Artist Spotlight

Patrick Laroche poses in his studio. Image courtesy of the artist.

Franco-Swiss sculptor Patrick Laroche (b. 1959) approaches his materials with the insight of a historian and the sensibility of a poet, translating centuries-old techniques into boldly refined contemporary works.

In 1985, Laroche began his artistic career studying under Prix de Rome laureate Roger de Jonckheere. He cut his teeth in traditional marble-working techniques, combining art-making and architectural skills to scale objects from model to monument. By 1990, Laroche was commissioned by the Réunion des Musées Nationaux to reproduce objects for the Louvre, including the Nike of Samothrace, an undisputed icon of Hellenistic-era Greek sculpture.

Laroche’s early-career engagement with the world of antiquity left a lasting imprint on both his practice and point of view. From the Topkapi Palace archaelogical project in Istanbul, to custom design work for Chanel, to his distinction as a Meilleur Ouvrier de France, his career has long been defined by technical rigor in service of awe-inspiring results. As his work evolves, Laroche continually reenergizes his practice with ever-heightening ambition.

Patrick Laroche, Crocodile Lamp, 21st c. Sculpted bronze. 19.6" w x 11.8" d x 72.8" h

Laroche's current Art Furniture collection draws on his archaeological experience to telegraph his considered interpretations of the natural world. These works serve as portals between the past and the present, the organic and the hand-wrought, the architectural and the intimate. He meticulously handcrafts each object in his Paris workshop, gilding the raw power of bronze, stone, and wood with polished details to prompt a range of sensory discoveries and delights.

Patrick Laroche, Gingko Stool / Side Table, 21st c. Sculpted and polished gilt bronze. 12.23" diam x 18.11 h

In Laroche's hands, the sculptural becomes functional without surrendering its mystery. As in the enigmatic sculptures of antiquity, Laroche's pieces respond to their environment with a considered lyricism, each building their own atmosphere of reverence and wonderment. For Laroche, what is withheld carries as much weight as the form itself — his sensibility echoing the blank page that shapes a poem, or the missing piece that reveals a sculpture's history.

Patrick Laroche's work has been featured in over 100 exhibitions and major art fairs worldwide, including FIAC in Paris, Art New York, Art Miami, and the L.A. Art Show. He has been commissioned to build large-scale public installations at iconic Parisian landmarks, including the Pont Alexandre III, Les Invalides, and Place Charles-de-Gaulle. In 2015, Patrick Laroche's work was selected to represent France at Expo Milano. Laroche's work is included in permanent collections throughout France, Spain, Poland, Canada, and the U.S.

Stop by the gallery, open every weekday from 11 a.m. – 6 p.m. or by appointment, to experience Laroche’s work up close.