Portrait sculpture philippe faraut biography

Together with his wife Charisse, the couple has made Philippe's techniques available to students and instructors in the form of a book series and numerous videos. After establishing residence in the Chesapeake Bay area of Virginia, he developed an interest in modeling the head in clay. Not only am I still passionate about modeling portraits, but I also feel more than ever the need to push my skills and strive to find the minuscule volumes that bring to life dead materials such as clay or stone.

I love the process of sculpting.

In 1996 he relocated with his wife to the Finger Lakes Region of New York State.

Philippe has created numerous original works ranging from six-inch porcelain figurines to over life-sized monuments in both stone and bronze and has exhibited his sculptures in various galleries and national and international competitions.

For over twenty years, Philippe has traveled throughout the US and abroad to teach sculptors and aspiring sculptors how to render portraits and figures in clay at private studios and institutions including the Grand Central Academy in New York, Ringling School of Art in Florida and Pixar in California.

The remaining portions of the work, such as details of the features, expression, hair and ornaments, often feel so pleasant and peaceful that I like to make them last as long as possible, spending hours on subtlety of volumes and texture. In addition, he has studied forensic facial reconstruction and anaplastology and lectures at universities and medical conventions in the US and Europe on expressions and the aging process of the face.

It was a labor intensive business that required precision and a tremendous amount of sculpting hours, which provided me a training for modeling faces, hands and feet that I could not have received in any art school.

Even though I was sculpting hundreds of doll heads and many figurines, I did not at the time, think that my skills as a sculptor were particularly impressive and I was not interested in getting into more recognized art or classical forms.

Aside from producing porcelain products I was teaching intensively and already creating instructional material for my students, which lead me with Charisse’s help and expertise to the publishing of our first book on modeling the portrait.

An avid traveler, Philippe's destinations have allowed him the opportunity to study the cultures of many countries in Europe, Asia, Africa and the Caribbean, thus influencing his work in portraiture. I have many times been extremely disappointed by being denied the opportunity to model an inspiring face.

For many artists, portraiture is not interesting or even considered as art, but for me it is the ultimate challenge.

In the late nineties I also started creating sculptures in bronze, clay and marble for collectors in the US and abroad.

The past twenty years have been a succession of sculpting projects in several media mostly for private clients but also in several industries such as forensic reconstruction, anaplastology (facial prosthetic implants) and cosmetics.

My work is predominately focused on representing human emotions through facial expressions and body language.

To date I have completed over 65.

Interview by Fabio Pariante, journalist/ Twitter–Instagram

Philippe Faraut on social networks:Instagram –YouTube –Facebook

Philippe Faraut (France, 1964) is a sculptor from the French Alps and specializes in live portrait sculpting by studying at the Germain Sommeiller in Annecy in France, where he graduated in Design and Manufacture of Classical French Furniture and Wood Sculpture.

Philippe Faraut lives and works in New York.