Nicolette Bénard is a sculptural artist based in The Netherlands.
For many years, one subject has continued to fascinate her: identity. Not as something fixed, but as something that is constantly shaped by our experiences, by what we choose to reveal, and by what we prefer to keep hidden.
This fascination runs as a thread throughout her work. Sometimes through icons, symbols and tattoos, as in Signed for Life. Sometimes through the face or its absence as explored in The Veiled Self.
After training as a goldsmith at Vakschool Schoonhoven, she developed a lasting appreciation for craftsmanship, materials and attention to detail. To this day, every sculpture begins with process: observing, exploring, refining and looking again.
Each piece is made by hand in her studio. A recurring element is the freshwater pearl. What began as a tribute to her mother has, over the years, become a personal and recognisable signature in her work.
Her sculptures have been shown internationally in galleries, art fairs and museum contexts across Europe, Asia and the United States.
Ultimately, she hopes her work invites people to pause, look a little longer, and find something of their own story within it.
