Totem Patrice Cadiou

Leather Totem Signed Patrice Cadiou Fécamp 1980 Patrice Cadiou was a classical dancer turned sculptor, known for his dark and enigmatic works made from materials found in the dumps near his home. His sculptures evoke a kinship with the nail fetishes of the Kongo. He sought to understand and reveal the hidden message of his sculptures, stating: "When one of my sculptures has not yet delivered its message, when it does not yet speak to me, I seek to listen to it, to modify it so that it reveals its whole secret to me" (Centre d'art contemporain de l'abbaye d'Auberive, Esprit singulier: fonds de l'abbaye d'Auberive, éd. Flammarion: Paris, 2016, p. 102). His artistic career was marked by his meeting with the dealer Gérard Laubie, which led to exhibitions at Raymond Cordier, at the Keller gallery, at the Ridel gallery and also at the Museum of Modern Art in Paris. Jean-Claude Volot, a collector of contemporary art and mayor of Auberive, played a crucial role in Cadiou's career. He collected him and encouraged him to settle in Haute-Marne at the contemporary art center of the Auberive abbey where some of his works were exhibited.