Nadine Zangarini
Woodcarver
Hollenfels, Luxembourg
Recommended by Association De Mains de Maîtres Luxembourg
Sculptures of inner explorations
- Nadine uses the direct carving approach to reveal the character of raw materials
- Her pieces explore migration, refuge and the relationship between light and shadow
- Beyond wood, she creates works with stone, plaster and bronze
Nadine Zangarini creates abstract wooden sculptures that give form to personal experiences and ideas. After studying art in Strasbourg and building a career as an art teacher, she pursued further sculpture training at the Edith Maryon Kunstschule in Freiburg im Breisgau later in life. Nadine is inspired by artists such as Constantin Brancusi and Barbara Hepworth, whose exploration of essential forms and emotional expression helped shape her own sculptural language. Working from her studio in a former farm surrounded by forests, she has developed a profound connection with locally sourced wood. “I respond to each piece’s grain, knots and natural forms rather than imposing a fixed design,” she says. Nadine’s practice evolves through different bodies of work, exploring subjects that personally resonate with her.
INTERVIEW
My practice developed slowly. I began exhibiting my work around 2006 as I was balancing a career and raising three children. Fortunately, I am now retired, which allows me to devote much more time to sculpture. My family is gradually adapting to my need for dedicated creative time, even when it means I am less immediately available.
The theme of my piece comes first, stemming from a feeling, an emotion or a question I want to explore. I do not begin with a fixed design. Once I choose a piece of wood, the process becomes a dialogue between that initial idea and the material. As I carve, sketch and respond to its grain and natural forms, the sculpture gradually finds its own shape.
I live in a valley surrounded by forests, and my studio is located in a former farm in the woods. I spend a lot of my time working outdoors while listening to the wind in the trees. I need to feel a connection with nature, which is why being surrounded by it is important to me.
There is a meditative quality to working with stone that is very different from carving wood. I use very few machines and work mainly with a hammer and chisel. The process is slower and more physical, so it requires a different kind of attention, I approach the material with much more humility.
Nadine Zangarini
Woodcarver
Hollenfels, Luxembourg
Recommended by Association De Mains de Maîtres Luxembourg
ADDRESS
Address upon request, Hollenfels, Luxembourg
AVAILABILITY
By appointment only
LANGUAGES
Luxembourgish, French, German, English, Italian
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