Les deux oiseaux 1945

Etienne Hajdu's ‘Les deux oiseaux’ is made from clay and is such a simple, yet striking sculpture. I’m imagining him, Etienne, wrestling with the clay, feeling its grittiness, pushing it this way and that, and discovering these forms. There’s something so satisfying about that, isn’t there? The way a material can lead you, almost against your will, to unexpected places. The matte surface and the warm, earthy tone create a sense of groundedness, like you could reach out and feel the weight of the earth in your hands. The shapes of the birds are highly abstracted, angular, but with a touch of softness. They are like thoughts, shifting and morphing as they take form. There’s Brancusi, of course, in the simplified form of the birds, but also something distinctly Hajdu's own. It’s all part of this ongoing dialogue artists have. Hajdu has his say, and then someone else picks up the thread, adding their own twist. And that’s the beautiful thing about art, isn’t it? It’s always in motion, always evolving.