Saint Clair Cemin's Tosca decorative objects shine in bronze at David Gill Gallery

Tosca, the inaugural show by the United States- and Greece-based sculptor Saint Clair Cemin, is on view from September 11 – October 4, 2025, at the David Gill Gallery, and is also showcased during the London Design Festival 2025 at London's Mayfair Design District (September 13, 15 – 20, 2025). The design exhibition unveils a fresh collection of bronze works by the postmodern sculptor, including candleholders, stools, a dining table, chairs and a chandelier. Best known for his conceptual sculpture art, Cemin brings nearly two decades of bold experimentation into his latest contemporary design collection.

Rooted in his 'rococo sauvage' style—a term Cemin coined to describe a wild, nature-inspired take on 18th-century ornamentation—Tosca bridges storytelling, sculpture and functional design, as is evident in the works showcased during the design event. "The series revolves around a sense of warmth that arises through storytelling, with whales dozing in the branches of trees, monkeys swinging through the air clutching books, and a chandelier stretches out like a spider's web of bronze," David Gill Gallery notes in the show's press release.

The collection marks a return to Cemin's design roots, which commenced 18 years ago when he was commissioned to create site-specific pieces for the Musée de la Chasse et de la Nature in Paris. Tasked with blending contemporary design with the museum's historical collections, he developed his 'rococo sauvage' style—vivid, sculptural works inspired by the natural world. Influences from Catalonian architect Antoni Gaudí are also evident in Tosca's rough qualities and forms that evoke both natural forms and an otherworldly feel.

"I decided to do something a little more fun," says Cemin in the official release. "Animal comes from the word 'anima'. It's what gives soul to something, makes it animated. If it's not animals that animate the work, the form has to do it."

Born in Brazil, Cemin rose to prominence during the vibrant New York art scene of the 1980s. His transition into sculpture began in 1983 with a self-imposed challenge: a week locked in a room with raw clay. "Once I started touching and making things in clay, I could not stop," he recalls. "Two days later, when the clay ran out, I broke my own rules and bought another 50 kilos."

The spirit of that hands-on discovery continues to shape Cemin's work. Each piece in Tosca began as a hand-drawn sketch and was sculpted at full scale based on the original maquette. These are not mass-produced objects but deeply personal works, infused with mythology and a touch of whimsy. "I like the idea of the lack of synchronicity… that you cannot know what time you're living in," as Cemin explains.

Although Cemin is known for large-scale public sculptures, such as Mercury Fountain (1990) in Virginia, he draws no hard line between sculpture and design. "For me to make a sculpture or make a table, it's the same thing," he says. "Da Vinci said that art lives off constraints and dies of excessive freedom. I find design difficult because of the challenge, but I like the challenge."

Tosca is an invitation into Cemin's rich visual language, his mastery with bronze and his ability to transform it into bold, functional objects that merge artistic expression with contemporary design.