Valerie Otte
Insight into the human soul
Otte's art can be described as a play of the eyes at distance, which is a classical description for figurative sculpture. The rule: Close observation. In her works, the artist translates everything that she saw in the world as a quiet emotion, a small gesture or a moment of truthfulness. The viewer then "reads" these traces cast in bronze and soon no longer sees mere sculptures but personalities. It is a game that educates - not only for art but also for the world.
Valerie Otte (born in 1977) studied sculpture and art history in London and Berlin. She followed up with a diploma in product design in Potsdam – this path describes perfectly the approach and versatility of her work.
Otte's work as a sculptor in her Berlin studio is primarily figurative. Her bronze figures are rarely actually portraits (although she has made and continues to make some portraits from models). They are sensitive character studies of great emotional and psychological depth, which allow the viewer an insight into their inner lives without exaggerated "posing", simply through quiet suggestion and barely perceptible gesture. In the process, Otte's figures usually rest within themselves so that the viewer almost believes witnessing an intimate moment.
