Eddy Maniez: Animal Sculptures Reinvented Through Silicone
- Delphine & Romain Class
- Apr 9
- 4 min read
Born in Grasse in 1969, Eddy Maniez belongs to that generation of self-taught artists who have succeeded in inventing a unique visual language, far removed from academic conventions. Having spent many years as a forest ranger in the south of France, he developed an intimate connection with nature and the animal world — a profound source of inspiration for his work.His artistic universe is inhabited by familiar creatures — turtles, gorillas, crocodiles, octopuses, bears, fish — which he transforms into true contemporary icons through an unprecedented technique: the complete covering of the animal’s body with thousands of silicone spikes, meticulously applied by hand, one by one.
A hybrid technique, between instinct and patience
Eddy Maniez’s method is both artisanal and meditative. Each sculpture begins with a realistic form, molded and painted in resin, which he patiently covers with silicone spikes, applied one by one, freehand, using a gun. No preparatory drawings, no machines — the gesture is free, instinctive, and repeated thousands of times. The artist speaks of an “organic rhythm,” akin to breathing. This meticulous work can take several weeks, or even several months for monumental pieces.
From afar, the sculptures appear bristling, almost dangerous; up close, they reveal a surprising softness — a flexible, vibrant texture. Silicone, an industrial and artificial material, becomes under his hands a living, sensual, luminous skin. This is the very paradox of Maniez’s work: transforming the synthetic into the organic, artifice into life. To rest his eyes, he must take breaks every 10 to 15 minutes, otherwise his vision becomes blurred. He also works on several pieces at once, in order to vary the shapes and sizes of the silicone spikes.
The bestiary as a mirror of humanity
Eddy Maniez is not an animal sculptor in the traditional sense. His creatures, though recognizable, are as much symbols as they are representations. The gorilla, for instance, appears frequently in his work — massive, powerful, yet frozen in a contemplative stance. It embodies restrained strength, the closeness between human and animal, and sometimes the fragility of nature in the face of modern humanity.
The fish or the turtle, on the other hand, become figures of resilience and fluidity — archetypes of slowness and persistence. In each animal, Maniez projects a vital energy, a kind of soul expressed through the repetition of gesture and the vibration of material.
In this sense, his sculptures go beyond the decorative: they question the place of living beings in our industrialized societies, where nature has become scarce — sometimes domesticated, often artificially reconstructed.
Between art and design: the temptation of beauty
What strikes the viewer in Maniez’s work is its immediate visual appeal. The silicone spikes create shifting reflections, and the artist enhances them with Swarovski crystals that catch the light, transforming the sculpture into a shimmering, almost precious object.
This dialogue between kitsch and refinement, between the natural and the luxurious, gives his works a pop and hypnotic dimension. There is something of pointillism in them, of repetitive minimalism, but also of the aesthetic of contemporary design.
His sculptures, often monumental, engage in dialogue with both urban spaces and gallery interiors: they assert their presence while inviting tactile and sensory contemplation.
A sensory and spiritual work
Behind the technical virtuosity lies an almost spiritual approach. The artist conceives his creations as meditative forms — objects of focus and energy. Each spike becomes a cell, a fragment of life. Together, they form a coherent organism, somewhere between sculpture and installation.
This repetitive process, akin to a mantra, gives his works a quasi-ritual dimension. Eddy Maniez sometimes says that he “makes the material breathe.” And that is exactly what the viewer perceives: a slow pulse, a visual vibration, a sense of balance between chaos and harmony.
Growing Recognition
Today, Eddy Maniez’s sculptures are exhibited in international galleries such as Eden Galerie and Class Art Biarritz, and have become part of numerous private collections across Europe, the United States, the Middle East, and Asia. Some monumental works, like his three-meter-tall black gorilla, require hundreds of silicone cartridges and thousands of crystals, illustrating the controlled grandeur of his practice.
His creations, at the intersection of art, craftsmanship, and design, find their place equally in contemporary interiors and public spaces, embodying a form of art that is accessible, immediate, playful, and contemplative. His sculptures can also be displayed outdoors — by pools, on terraces, or in gardens. They are UV-protected and can be cleaned simply with a water jet.
The Gentleness of the Wild
By covering the animal world in silicone, Eddy Maniez does not aim to tame it but to re-enchant it. Beneath the synthetic surface, he brings forth the vitality of life, making visible the silent energy of natural forms. His spiked animals are neither threatening nor domesticated: they exist in a suspended state, between reality and artifice, between fragility and power.
In a world saturated with images, Maniez reminds us that beauty can emerge from a slow gesture, from repeated detail, from the patient work of the hands. His sculptures, both soft and bristling, are manifestos of tenderness toward nature — but also reflections of our times, where art and material seek to reclaim a shared meaning: that of life.
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