Sandra and the beaks is a smoky sandstone sculpture by the contemporary artist Cécile Raynal. It is of a seated woman with two birds. They seem to want to interact with her, but their behaviour is ambiguous. On one side, they seem to want to kiss her, in a movement displaying affection and attachment and on the other side, they are exhibiting a threatening attitude with their beaks dangerously close to her face.

For the past ten years, the artist has been running art courses in isolated locations such as: prisons, retirement homes, hospitals and on-board cargo ships, inviting their residents to pose for her. These meetings are often fruitful and enriching, creating a place of interaction and deep thought. They are a time to document, in a cinematographic way, and then the sculptures release themselves from their models. Indeed, these works of art will be transformed in the artist’s studio and lean towards fictional representations. As ever in Cecile's sculpture, art and life are interlinked.

This portrait is a part of the ‘Birds and Mothers’ series, conceived in a social centre in Normandy, the area where the sculptor lives. This welcoming place for both children and people in distress, is mainly frequented by women of all ages, who the artist has admired their strength and tenacity. Cecile, however, also seen mothers’ complexity, both tender and possessive. The portraits are covered with the lives and uncertainties of these people with multiple and unique stories.

The artist wanted the sculptures to open a door onto tales and that they should tell a journey ‘from the earth to the heavens’. The portraits have thus mutated and are adorned with wings, beaks and claws. The mothers and birds bodies have mixed to reveal fabulous affiliations, emancipating the sculptures of their original form. Thanks to the animal figures in the pieces of this series, the artist promotes to the viewers’ eyes the common language and the interactions between beasts and man.

Dimensions of the stoneware sculpture: 90 cm x 47 cm x 40 cm

Dimensions of the wooden base: 106 cm x 30 cm x 34 cm 

Total height of the installation: 170 cm

This sculpture is a one-off piece, delivered with a certificate of authenticity.