Christian Leroy " Sumo " Sculpture Expressionniste d'Un Homme En Bronze, Cire Perdue, Ca 1970

Bronze sculpture of a walking Sumo man.
Unique piece, lost wax technique, signed on the terrace (see photo), ca 1970.
The eyes are in glass.

Biography:
Christian Leroy (1931-2007) was born in Charleroi, a sculptor, ceramist and draughtsman who trained at the Institut Supérieur Saint-Luc in the studio of the sculptor Harry Elström. He took evening classes with Charles Verhasselt at the Académie des Beaux-Arts in Brussels, worked under Henri Puvrez at the Institut National Supérieur des Beaux-Arts in Antwerp and took classes with the ceramist Olivier Strebelle. He moved to Binche and began a career spanning almost 35 years as a sculpture teacher at the Académie des Beaux-Arts in Mons and at the Ecoles Techniques du Hainaut in Saint-Ghislain.
Christian Leroy is passionate about all forms and techniques: medals, copperware, drawing, pottery, sculpture in plaster, terracotta, wood, stone, bronze, etc. Life-size busts and figures, expressionist characters, Art Brut: ‘Tout nu, tout cru, voici les hommes’, and religious works.
- Prix Godecharle for the plaster statue Nègre (160 cm). Travelled to Greece (1955), won the Atelier à Forest prize and the Prix de Rome (1956), the Province of Hainaut prize (1957), winner of the Prix de Rome (1957). Awarded a grant for a trip to Egypt and the Congo (1958). Participation in the Middelheim Biennial (1961), guest of the Hainaut 5 group (1964), first prize in the ‘Homage to Roland de Lassus’ competition (1968), winner of the Winterthur competition (1970), sculpture prize from the Royal Academy of Belgium (1971). Private visit by Queen Fabiola to his studio (1974), participation in the ‘Hainaut alive’ exhibition at Passage 44, Brussels (1977). 
In 1971, the MAKA group, encouraged by Gustave Camus, was founded in Mons by Michel Jamsin, Christian Leroy, Jean-Marie Molle, Calisto Peretti, Jacques Ransy, Charles Szymkowicz and Yvon Vandycke. 
A founding member of the Sextant (1971-1976) and Art Cru (1976-1979) groups, he was also a member of the Polyptyque group (1980-1983). 
- Several exhibitions, publication of a Cahier and a TV film by J.M. de Coninck, Groupe Maka.
Regular exhibitions with the MAKA group and ART CRU, with his friend, the painter Yvon Vandycke.
Christian Leroy's work is represented in the museums of Binche, Waudrez, Mariemont, La Louvière and Mons (Cantoria). Important sculptures are located in Binche, place de Battignies; in Mons, parvis St Waudru; in Le Zoute, square des dominicains: L'Envol; in Stavelot: Le Guet; in the Palais des Académies in 1000 Brussels: Marcel Thiry; in the Cantaer factories in Zottegem: Femme debout; in the Winterthur offices in Brussels: Le Cri.
Religious works in Tournai Cathedral, in the monastery of Wavreu-mont, in the churches of. Chièvres, Enghien, Saint-Ghislain, Mont-sur-Marchienne, Loverval, Braine-le-Comte, Laneffe, Nafraiture, Lavacherie, Ander-lecht, Kinshasa/Congo, Louvain.
Numerous works in private collections, in the collections of the Belgian State and the Crédit Communal; at the Royal Academy of Belgium, in collections in America, Switzerland, Congo, France, Italy and Japan.
A sculpture will be presented by King Baudouin and Queen Fabiola to the King of Sweden...