Aron Demetz – The Compassionate Sculptor

Text and photos by Chen Chi-Hsiang. Aron Demetz (born 1972) is a compassionate sculptor who, in the contemporary era of hierarchical multimedia, remains rare in his fascination with traditional wood carving. Born in Vipiteno, a renowned hometown of traditional religious wood carving in northern Italy, he was subtly influenced from childhood to have a special fondness for traditional wood carving, with wood serving as the soul of all his works. He studied at the Nuremberg Academy of Art under Professor Christian Höpfner and is one of the most internationally prominent sculptors among Italy's new generation of artists.

Aron Demetz’s works are deeply moving, built upon Italy’s brilliant and profound artistic tradition, filled with postmodern signs that return to the core exploration of Italian Renaissance humanism. He finds contemporary value within tradition, focusing his creative core on the image of figures, repeatedly examining the relationship and characteristics between humans and nature, intending to recover the meaning and value of human existence, and actively interpreting the essence of life.

Clearly, Aron Demetz’s works are not comedic but tragic worlds, full of expressiveness and metaphorical qualities. Monumental forms often create extraordinary tension and momentum through huge raw tree stump platforms or dramatic spatial installations, achieving visual shock and strong infectious power, intending to awaken reflection among humanity amidst current drastic changes.

Early figures by Aron Demetz were often full of modern melancholic and meditative temperaments. He quickly tried various possibilities on the human body, dramatically incorporating expressive media such as silver and aluminum foil, mushrooms, resin, or fire carbonization. Bizarre and strange, these material mediums evoke the soul; for example, the mushroom series illustrates natural energy. In the resin series (2009-2013), where figures’ heads or bodies are coated with resin, it more or less hints at the trauma and pain of human suffering, summoning the tension and soul of the statue, transforming into some kind of magical natural volume. Under certain circumstances, this is very close to the metaphysical paintings of Italian painter De Chirico, revealing a brand-new charm. The compassionate resin series by Aron Demetz represented Italy at the 2009 Venice Biennale.

The most powerful and dramatic is the fire-burned carbonization series (2010-2013). Like being reborn from fire, it burns away human hypocrisy, restoring the truth of existence, revealing the essence of life or human existence, and transforming it into eternity. Sculptor Aron Demetz said, "For me, the act of burning is so important; what remains is truth, clear and explicit originality." Under certain states, it is also very close to Giacometti’s existentialist philosophical rumination on life, strengthening the value and meaning of human existence. It reveals human fragility and strength, further reflecting compassion and reflection on current humanity.

Italian sculptor Aron Demetz is the main featured artist represented by Taiwan Shang Gallery, and his works made their first appearance with Paris art lovers. He carefully selected the meaningful new series "Advanced Minorities" (2013-2017) for exhibition, displaying six new works of varying sizes. Their characteristic features are parts of the human body with fine, smooth surfaces (machined milling polishing) contrasted with other (larger/smaller) parts that are hairy or furry. Sometimes even more dramatically, the entire torso or head exhibits an eerie charm, referring to metaphysical implications. Under the contrast of smooth and rough, it gives people infinite reverie, like civilization/primitive, South/North, light/dark, passion/coldness, inner/outer, time/space, etc., focusing the energy and gaze of the entire exhibition venue. It elucidates that duality is merely the surface of life, but "Oneness" is the absolute essence, seemingly implying that only human awakening consciousness can transcend non-duality.