I’m so pleased to share with you what I think is a phenomenal Artist and Sculptor; Craig French
I was introduced to Craig’s work at a fundraiser for Heartfelt which I showcased in an earlier newsletter.
Just last week I was able to visit with him at his studio and could not be more impressed with the number of works I got to see closeup and the variety of materials he is exploring for new pieces. The pleasure was all mine!
Feast your eyes!
FEATURED ARTIST
Craig French
Craig French | Sculptor
For more than four decades, sculpture has been both my profession and my lifelong conversation with the world around me. My work is rooted in the belief that art is an ongoing process of absorbing experiences, influences, materials, and ideas, then transforming them into forms that invite reflection, movement, and wonder.
I was fortunate to grow up in Laguna Beach, California, immersed in a creative environment where artists, designers, and makers were part of everyday life. Creativity was woven into both my community and my family. My father, an architect and gifted artist, left a lasting impression through his discipline, craftsmanship, and ability to translate ideas into form. My mother possessed an equally remarkable instinct, transforming ordinary materials into beautiful experiences and teaching me that artistry exists not only in studios and galleries, but in the thoughtful arrangement of everyday life.
My fascination with making began early. By junior high school, I was building furniture from exotic hardwoods and learning to weld at the Boys & Girls Club. Inspired by local artists, I created kinetic ball mazes—roller coaster-like sculptures powered by motors that continuously lifted and released ping-pong balls through winding pathways. Looking back, I cherish the innocence of those years; I was simply following curiosity and allowing ideas to become what they wanted to be.
At eighteen, an AFS scholarship took me to Australia, where I lived with the family of sculptor Alan Ingham, a former assistant to Henry Moore. Experiencing lost-wax bronze casting and being immersed in a vibrant artistic community expanded my understanding of what an artist’s life could be and reinforced my desire to pursue a creative path.
Another pivotal influence was Laguna Beach abstract expressionist Tom Belloni, with whom I worked for several years as an assistant. Beyond teaching me materials and techniques, he demonstrated how to sustain a meaningful artistic career and provided invaluable mentorship as I established my own path.
After graduating from UC Irvine, I committed fully to creating and exhibiting artwork. An early two-person exhibition with my close friend and internationally recognized sculptor Brad Howe helped establish a standard of rigor and ambition that continues to influence my practice.
My work has evolved through many phases, from an early Pop Art exhibition in Tokyo in 1990 to the multimedia sculptures I create today. Working with cast resins, acrylics, metals, rare woods, and glass, I create fluid compositions that blur the boundaries between painting and sculpture. Inspired in part by Constructivist ideas and Naum Gabo’s exploration of space, movement, and time, I seek to capture moments of movement suspended in stillness.
Circles, loops, and celestial geometries frequently appear in my work because they speak to something universal. My sculptures are less about imposing meaning than creating spaces where intuition and perception can coexist, allowing viewers to experience both recognition and mystery.
What continues to sustain me is not mastery, but discovery. The longer I work, the more I realize how vast the unknown truly is. Art does not provide answers; it opens possibilities. After more than forty years as a sculptor, I remain a willing student of the creative current that has guided me since childhood, continually searching for new ways to transform static materials into expressions of movement, beauty, and joy.
Craig French, Sculptor
2026
