Patron Magazine

Landscape, light, and memory are carved into Chaouki Choukini’s sculpture. Using the French word for place, lieu, Choukini visually describes metaphysical landscapes. “These are not real places, but places where man has vanished. There are traces that man was here and has left. It is such ideas that I always try to represent with my sculpture.”

Choukini’s use of light creates a sense of buoyancy to his substantial forms. Whether recalling the human figure or the natural environment, light, in many ways, is an additional medium within the work. This is a deliberate choice, as he says, “I open windows to let light go across the sculpture.” Embedded in all of the work is the human figure.

Often, Choukini recounts, “Man is hidden inside the sculpture, without regards to anatomy or proportions.” The use of a thin wooden cord is another hallmark of Choukini’s work. This cord, whether horizontal or vertical, provides a sense of tension to his elongated poetic forms. For him, “It is like a ray of light.”