Michael Wilding: Curvature at Hotel Bel-Air

14 September - 9 November 2025

Overview

Wilding Cran Gallery is thrilled to be partnering with Ackerman Studios and CURA Art for Curvature, an exhibition of sculptures by Santa Fe based artist, Michael Wilding, to be presented within the elegant grounds of Hotel Bel-Air, a Dorchester Collection hotel, in Los Angeles.

Part of the exhibition series ‘Spatial Elegance –Timeless Horizons’ at Hotel Bel-Air, the programming centers around a refined discovery of excellence, presenting sculptures in the peaceful surroundings of the hotel’s lush grounds and scenic gardens. Drawing inspiration from the tranquil environs, the interplay of light, and the expansive Californian sky, the presentations will create an immersive and meditative experience.

Wilding's sculptures, rendered from marble, limestone, steatite and alabaster, communicate the artist's raw reverence for the ancient medium. Viewing his carving technique as an improvisational conversation with stone, Wilding's practice works to excavate the elegance held within a single slab formed over the course of millions of years. In a journey to unearth unknown forms by subtracting extraneous material, Wilding fully immerses himself in responding to the emotional impact of each chisel. While his technical process is quite labor intensive and time consuming, the graceful purity of the works can make one feel otherwise; soft sloping curves meet crests of hard line, accentuating dimension through light and shadow. In addition to his carved stone works, placed throughout the spaces in and around the hotel grounds, Wilding has included two bronze casts, molded and patinated to varying effect. By putting stone and bronze in dialogue with one another, the artist emphasizes the significance of material in communicating the impact of a particular form, as well as the capabilities imbued within each approach.