Fiona Zondervan

Animals give me support in this world. I draw hope and courage from their presence. I prefer to depict them in stone, but also in bronze. It is not only about the outer appearance; I also want to convey and reveal the inner essence.

I create sculptures of birds and mammals, with form, feather, fur, and movement as their carriers. A sculpture is not a biological illustration: the posture, the muscle masses, the animal itself is the story. I strive for accuracy in representation, but not necessarily for detail. The process of observing, becoming aware, and creating is an intense and personal journey. The animal in all its forms is endlessly fascinating. Their vulnerability deeply touches me—and that is what I try to express.

The birds I have created in recent years are executed both in bronze and in stone. The working methods of these materials are opposite. Bronze sculptures are built up in modeling wax and later cast. Stone sculptures are carved out. So it is a process of building and removing. The material I use influences the form. The fact that everything is suggestion is even more visible in stone. But also in the bronze works, which may appear more figurative at first glance, everything remains suggestive. The challenge is to create a powerful form in both bronze and stone that fully expresses the animal, the posture, and the material.