Serge Benoit (1937–2025) – Abstract Sculpture In Exotic Wood – Circa 1980

Abstract sculpture by Serge Benoit (1937–2025), directly from the artist’s studio.

Carved from a single block of particularly dense exotic wood, probably azobé, the sculpture is structured around a series of interlocking geometric volumes, created through deep carving and the removal of material.

Its almost architectural composition explores the relationship between solid forms and voids. The surface retains the distinctive marks of the carving tools, with fine striations catching the light and emphasizing the different planes. A metal element is incorporated into the upper part of the composition.

After an initial figurative period, Serge Benoit turned towards abstraction in 1974, developing a sculptural vocabulary influenced in particular by the world of machinery. His work from this period is characterized by the use of dense woods, sometimes combined with metal, which he carved and hollowed out to create strongly structured geometric forms.

Azobé is documented among the woods used by Benoit in several sculptures from the late 1970s onwards.

No signature has been found on this sculpture. Its attribution is nevertheless supported by its direct provenance from Serge Benoit’s studio: the work was entrusted to us by the artist’s son. A photograph taken in Benoit’s studio also shows this sculpture among the artist’s works.