Vadim Tuzov
Russian by birth, Vadim Tuzov is now an Irish citizen having lived in Dublin for over twenty years.
All Vadim's work is produced in small limited editions, by hand, using the Lost Wax process (Cire perdue) which was used for casting in bronze. The earliest examples of this process date from around 3000 BC, and are found both in ancient Egypt and Ur.
The Lost Wax casting process is a method of casting in which a wax form is encased in a heat-resistant material, as clay or mostly ceramic silica-sand compound that is hardened and then heated to melt and drain away the wax, producing a mould into which molten metal is poured. Once bronze is poured into the cured ceramic shells the sculpture cools and a shell begins to pop away from the bronze. This shell will be completely broken away. Finally, any texturing that was lost or damaged in the casting or welding process is recreated. The sculpture is then polished in preparation for application of the patina. The different coloured finishes that are possible on cast bronze sculptures are called patina's. The various colours, patterns and textures obtained in the patina process are achieved, and sealed with waxes or lacquer.
"My first memory of art is from preschool where I made simple drawings and sculptured small soldiers, indians and cowboys. Years later I went to art school. The main subject there was painting and the secondary was sculpting. After a few years I changed the subject to sculpting. When the time came to choose a work place I decided to go to a bronze foundry. There I was introduced to casting bronze and fell in love with it. Making some pieces from plasticine and seeing their result in bronze was really exiting. At the same time I was accepted to Ukrainian National Academy of Visual Art and Architecture. After graduation I started to work at a State Restoration Workshop. I restored sculptures from various museums across the country. From 1998 I was working with Cast Ltd on a regular basis. From around that time I began to exhibit my bronze work at Jorgensen Fine Art gallery. At the same time I making bronze metal work for other artists."