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Quentin Garel’s Lifelike Sculptures Transport Us to the ‘Faraway Forest’

November 7, 2024

Lifelike mammals with sage expressions characterize the sculptures of Quentin Garel (previously). A deer with enormous antlers, an ibex—a type of wild goat—with curving horns, and a beady-eyed donkey are just a few of the creatures in the artist’s current solo exhibition with Galerie LJ, Dans la Forêt Lontaine—or, “in the faraway forest.”

Oscillating between reality and fantasy, Garel’s sculptures portray creatures threatened by overhunting, displaying them on the wall or atop metal rods like trophies. He works with the wood’s natural grain, allowing the whorls and knots to emphasize musculature.

Part of a commissioned series for a public installation in Thonon-les-Bains, France, Garel explores the theme of mountain animals, drawing attention to the needless impulse to hunt for sport. In Thonon-les-Bains, bronze casts of the pieces shown currently at Galerie LJ will be installed in a large wall fountain.

Dans la Forêt Lontaine continues through November 23 in Paris. Find more of Garel’s work on Instagram.