ELEMENTAL ELEGANCE:
MARBLE SCULPTURES BY ISABELLE SCHELTJENS
A new dimension
Belgian artist Isabelle Scheltjens is internationally renowned for her distinctive glass art and layered wall compositions. After more than a decade of exploring portraiture through glass mosaics, she expands her artistic practice into a new dimension with marble sculptures and bronze works.
Where her iconic faces were once constructed on a two-dimensional surface, they now take shape in space. This evolution from wall-based art into sculpture marks a natural progression within her work and reflects her continuous search for new ways to explore form, material and perception.
A reinvented sculptural language
In her marble sculptures, Isabelle Scheltjens translates her recognisable visual language into solid form. She deliberately stretches, distorts and abstracts familiar facial features, creating striking compositions that shift depending on the viewer’s perspective.
The result is a sculptural trompe-l’oeil in which recognisable forms appear to transform before the eye. Her work challenges conventional ideas of proportion and beauty, while inviting the viewer to question what is real and what is perceived.
Marble, light and perception
Marble adds a new dimension to the work of Isabelle Scheltjens. Its natural veining, texture and timeless character contrast with the dynamic and often unexpected proportions of her sculptures.
As light moves across the surface, shadows emphasise the volume and details of each form. The strength and permanence of the stone are balanced by a sense of movement, softness and expression.
Through these contemporary marble sculptures, Isabelle Scheltjens continues to explore the relationship between image and form. Her artistic language moves from surface to volume and from visual recognition to spatial experience, while remaining unmistakably her own.
