Spells and Magic collection — 19 Artworks in 3 Series by Arnaud Quercy

What is it about myths and magic that continues to captivate us, drawing us back to ancient tales in a world so devoted to logic? Perhaps it’s the allure of the unknown, the thrill of entering realms where dragons roam and spells weave through the air. In Spells and Magic, I delve into this timeless fascination, capturing the places where the fantastical and the real meet. Can we truly separate reality from fantasy, or does imagination dissolve those boundaries?

The figure of the dragon, for instance, has haunted our legends, stirring awe and fear. In Dragon (Ceramic, 2024), I bring to life a creature born from shadow and fire—a being both fierce and majestic. But what is it that we see when we look at this dragon? Is it a guardian, a threat, or perhaps a mirror of our own desire for mystery and might? The sculpture’s patina finish feels as if it has been weathered by time itself, inviting us to wonder: Are dragons merely the echoes of stories, or do they represent something we’ve long lost the ability to see?

Then there’s Dragon Breeder (Ceramic, 2024), where a darker tale unfolds—a story of ambition intertwined with mythical power. Here, we see a figure bonded with a dragon, a creature not easily tamed. What drives someone to seek mastery over something so untamable? Is it a hunger for power, an attempt to conquer the wild, or an act of reverence for nature’s fiercest forms? In this piece, the boundaries between who serves whom blur, raising questions about control, trust, and the fragile balance between man and myth. Does the dragon serve the breeder, or has the breeder unknowingly submitted to forces beyond his control?

Magic isn’t confined to creatures alone. Grimoire (Ceramic, Rhodium Enamel, 2024) shifts our attention from mythical beings to the allure of knowledge. This is no ordinary book; it’s a symbol, a gateway into the unknown, shaped in geometric forms—a cube, a prism, a circle. But what knowledge lies within? With its reflective rhodium enamel, the grimoire itself becomes mysterious, as though it guards secrets just out of reach. Knowledge, like magic, has its own power, but does it come with a cost? Can it be controlled, or is it a force that shapes us even as we attempt to master it?

At the heart of the Grimoire is a tension between the known and the unknown, the order of sharp edges and the mystery of smooth curves. This piece, like the dragons, embodies the duality of magic—a delicate balance between what is hidden and what is revealed. When we pursue knowledge, do we unlock a gift or invite danger? Is the quest for understanding the ultimate form of magic, or does it simply open doors that were better left closed?

In Spells and Magic, I invite you to linger in the spaces where reality mingles with legend, where imagination stretches the boundaries of the possible. The collection asks us to wonder: What lies beyond the stories we tell ourselves, and how much magic still lingers in the world we think we know? Here, dragons, grimoires, and the essence of myth come alive, nudging us to reflect on the mysteries we’re drawn to, even in a world that insists on certainty.