Val, b.1967-2016

France

Born in France, artist Val (Valérie Goutard) created just over three hundred sculptures during her career which began in 2004 until her tragic death on 27th of October, 2016.

Val had lived in South America, Africa and Europe before settling in Asia in 2004. Once in Thailand, she discovered the traditional know-how of bronze alongside Thai foundries, establishing her workshop in Bangkok where she worked together with her team. In April of the same year, she exhibited locally for the first time and since 2005, her works have been on permanent display in numerous galleries across Asia and she participated in various art fairs in the region.

From 2008, Val and her husband built a large studio where the creative process would start and finish.

The moulds of Val’s artworks are still carefully preserved here, where remaining editions of her sculptures are still produced thanks to the skill of her loyal apprentices whom Val had trained and worked along side during her lifetime. In addition to these post-mortem fonts, which are still available, there are also a large number of her ante-mortem artworks still available.

She edited the vast majority of her artworks on a classic edition scheme for bronzes comprising of eight editions numbered 1/8 to 8/8 and four artist proofs numbered  EA I / IV to EA IV / IV. She produced only four series numbered from 1/100 to 100/100 as well as twenty unique pieces.

Val’s husband, who was her agent and studio manager, has since made a precise inventory of works listing every creation made. These were recently officially published in the catalogue raisonné of Val first released at the retrospective of her life's work held at REDSEA Gallery in February 2020.

Today, Val’s monumental sculptures can be seen in around the world, with notable monumental sculptures in Bangkok, Taipei and Singapore. In 2015, Val was awarded the Trophée des Français de l'Etranger (Award for French Expatriates) in the art of living section, rewarding her work and achievements abroad. In 2016 she also installed three sculptures made of concrete, bronze and coral in an underwater site in Koh Tao island in Thailand, the first artistic and ecological project of its kind.

For any information concerning the sculptures of Val still available, please contact us at info@redseagallery.com