Emerging sculptor based in Melbourne, Australia

Lucas Guilbert is an emerging sculptor based in Melbourne, Australia, whose multicultural background has deeply influenced his artistic practice and philosophy. Guilbert's woodcarving technique allows him to explore the relationship between wood and place, and he uses the sculptural process as a means of introspective, meditative self-exploration. He creates sculptures that aim to evoke profound contemplation and resonate with his audience, using wood as his primary medium and drawing inspiration from the organic shapes found in nature.

Guilbert's pieces are not just beautiful objects but also tell stories of the natural world and our relationship with it. He invites us to ponder the essence of life and our place in the world, to wonder at what remains after the seeds of time have grown into decay. His work includes sculptures such as Sacrum, which captures the essence of the natural world, and Leaf, which explores the journey of a tree and the essence that remains after its usefulness has waned.

Primarily self-taught, Guilbert began carving wood in his early life and has had the privilege of learning from master craftsmen. He has refined his artistic style in recent years, and his work has been showcased in group exhibitions, various galleries, and art competitions around the country. Guilbert has also participated in several art residencies, gaining valuable experience and exposure. His unique approach to sculpture, informed by his personal experiences and appreciation for nature, is earning him recognition within the art world.

Guilbert's current artistic vision involves creating larger, site-specific public artworks, as well as finely crafted small and medium objects appropriate for local and international exhibitions. He uses a range of techniques, such as burning, charring, brushing, distressing, oiling, buffing, bleaching, ageing, dyeing, and quenching, to achieve the desired effect on the material. The natural beauty of wood enhances the organic forms of his sculptures, and he often includes raw steel or brass, resulting in genuinely singular pieces. His goal is for his sculptural forms to be larger than life and to offer an awakening of an ancestral and mythical response.