MICHAEL VAYNMAN

“I create sculpture that explores notions of beauty, the Sublime and that indefinable, poetic nature of the human condition. My interest is in the synthesis of geometries with organic forms such as the human figure. The structure of my work lays in the interplay of line and shape and how that relates to the entirety of the whole form. The main intention of my art is to bring quiet contemplation to the mind and involve the person in the aesthetic experience”.

Born December 1974 to a family of artists in St Petersburg, Michael has always exhibited a strong talent in the visual arts winning his a first prize at bondi art show at age 10.  In his early formative years as an artist he excelled in sculpture, printmaking, painting and drawing, enjoying the different mediums and experimenting with different techniques. Sculpture became his focus twenty years ago and he has never looked back.
Michael has worked in numerous sculpting mediums such as clay, plaster, synthetic resins and steel. However stainless steel and bronze are his preferred materials due to their permanence and high quality. Michael has worked as a professional artist since 2001, specialising in figurative and abstract bronze and stainless-steel sculpture. He has also run sculpting workshops, since 2011, as a tutor at the prestigious private Sydney institutions such as Tom Bass Studio Sculpture School, Erskineville and Workshop Arts Centre, Willoughby.  Michael produces all his own bronzes, overseeing each process from start to finish. His skill in sculpting and associated techniques in mouldmaking and casting has led him to create a successful Mouldmaking and Art casting Studio based in the Central Coast, NSW.  This studio now helps produce unique original sculptures for over 20 Australian artists.

Exhibitions and Awards

Numerous solo and group exhibitions over the years with Maree Mizon Gallery,

House of Phillips Fine Art, Makers Mark, Galleria Aniela, Soho Gallery and Tighes Hill Gallery.

Solo/major exhibitions at:

Tighes Hill Gallery, Newcastle, 2006

House of Phillips Fine Art, Mosman,  2008

Maree Mizon Gallery, Woollahra, 2008

Soho Gallery, Woolloomooloo, 2010

Art Studios Gallery, Gosford, 2016

Highly commended – French Rendezvous Sydney 2006

The Franco Belgiorno-Nettis Transfield Holdings Prize 2008

The Sculptors Society prize for abstract sculpture 2013

Gosford Art Prize finalist 2013

Harbour Sculpture finalist 2014

Gosford Art Prize finalist 2015

Gosford Art Prize finalist 2016

Gosford Art Prize highly commended prize winner 2017

*Several of Michael’s Sculptures were picked for and featured in the film Mao’s Last Dancer 2009.

Commissions

* Relief bronze plates for the Lucinda Memorial – Lucinda Park, Pittwater – 2004

* ‘Triathlon’ Australian Ironman, bronze sculpture. (Private collector) – 2006

* ‘The Hoagie’ A corporate award in bronze for HRX – 2006

* ‘Entwined’ Bronze sculpture for Allied Irish Bank – 2007

* ‘Flight’ sculpture for foyer of St Andrews Cathedral School – 2008.

* ‘Anzac Memorial sculpture’ Chertsey Primary School – 2015.

Selected Media

‘Mosman festival of sculpture’

Mosman Daily, March 8, 2007.

‘With a nod to the Greeks’

Hornsby Advocate, February 7, 2008.

‘Rugshop Lovers launch a talent’

Mosman Daily, February 21, 2008.

‘Bronze age invitation’

North Shore Times, July 23, 2010.

‘Sculptor aims to inspire an artform’

Hornsby Advocate, July 29, 2010.

Education

1994-1996 Diploma of Fine Arts, sculpture major, painting minor.

1996-2000 Bachelor of Visual Arts, Painting Drawing major. Studies also completed in Ceramics, Photography, Printmaking.