I wrest a presence from steel, freeing it from all flesh.
Contemporary sculptor Roderick Owen develops a practice centered on the emergence of presence through steel.
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Forged steel is not simply shaped; it is confronted.
His work is rooted in a physical relationship with steel, where matter is driven beyond its own condition.
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In pushing steel beyond its own condition, the sculptor does not seek to transform it, but to reveal the presence that lies within, freeing it from all flesh.
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Among all possible forms, the stiletto imposed itself as the most compelling.
Its silhouette already embodies tension, balance, and elevation beyond its original function.
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The sculptor sees it as an architecture capable of asserting itself.
To him, this form deserves to exist beyond its purpose.
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From this vision arises his practice: to give form to steel entities that eternally retain their dignity, freed from flesh and beyond being worn by anyone.
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No longer fashion accessories, these stilettos become presences born of fire and silence, detached from human identity and freed from all flesh.
Steel no longer follows function; it becomes a language.
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Steel stilettos that break with their origin and affirm their presence.
From this conviction; each work is born.
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Each work bears the imprint of the passage that led it beyond its original function.
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These presences do not seek definition; they assert themselves.
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Between appearance and disappearance, presence tears itself free from matter.