ARTIST STATEMENT
“I am constantly searching for forms that may have existed long before us and still hold their meaning far
into the future — timeless shapes capable of transcending cultures and eras. Forms that, when eroded with
time, are still strong enough to carry concepts to future civilizations.”
RHEA MARMENTINI
Sculptor | working primarily in stone
Pécs, Hungary, 1979
Based in New York
RHEA MARMENTINI is a European sculptor whose work draws from the ancient power of stone and the poetic act of transformation. Through her practice, she creates powerful, symbolic forms that transcend the material and invite the viewer into worlds both mythical and introspective.
Her sculptures are a dialogue between raw matter and timeless essence — a pursuit of balance, presence, and connection with the natural world.
She describes herself as a traveler through time. In her Opus series, she channels the geology of each stone, revealing deep memory and monumental calm. In her Beasts and Winged Creatures, she evokes beings that live between parallel realities — hybrid forms that straddle the boundary between the human, the animal, and the divine.
“I feel minerals as condensed time, and I think of sculpting as a silent way of making music – both may be described as playing with time. ”
THEMES & INTENT
Marmentini’s work explores how humanity can reconnect with nature in meaningful and responsible ways. Using ancient materials and direct carving techniques, she repositions the viewer as an essential part of
the ecosystem.
SELECTED SERIES
Opus
A search of the monumental proportions that evoke the inner architecture of the earth — abstract, totemic, and serene. Each work is a meditation on geology, time, and form.
Beasts
This series reveals forms of life hidden within the stone, emerging as beings from myth and dream. The Winged Creatures are abstract entities, born from cosmic eggs, traversing between realities.
UOVO ALATO
Aurisina marble
Friuli, Italy
OPUS 14
Sütöi Travertino
Kállósemjén, Hungary
UNION
Sandstone
Peterfalva Museum
Ucraine
THE KISS
Andesite Rock
Transilvania
SELENE
Macael white marble
Sotogrande, Spain
EYE IN THE SKY
Sodalite
Sotogrande, Spain
CYCLOPS
Indiana sandstone
Brooklyn, NY
FLYING CYCLOPS
Indiana sandstone
Brooklyn, NY
FLYING CYCLOPS
Indiana sandstone
Brooklyn, NY
CAT WOMAN
Vermont white marble
Bank Art Gallery, Newburgh, US
MOONHOPPER
Vermont white marble
Bank Art Gallery, Newburgh, US
IKAROA
Sodalite
Sotogrande, Spain
SALTALUNAS
Sodalite
Sotogrande, Spain
ZLOTL
Sodalite
Sotogrande, Spain
CYCLOPE
Petrified tree
Hungary
IBER
Limestone
Málaga, Spain
OPUS 11
Travertine
Munich, Germany
OPUS 12
Basalt
Hungary
OPUS 16
Red travertine
Malaga, Spain
REBIRTH
Manhattan bedrock
Brooklyn, NY
VASUL
Petrified tree
Pécs, Hungary
DRAGÓN DE LA CALDERONA
Valencia
EDUCATION
1993–1996: Szeti Szakkozepiskola Art School, Pécs (Hungary)
1996–2000: Apprentice to Pierre Szekely, Paris – named his spiritual heir
1994–2000: Artist residencies in Japan, Hungary, and France
SELECTED PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITY
1995: International Wood Sculpture Symposium, Pécs (Hungary)
1998: Monumental Sculpture Symposium, GRANITS BRETONS, Ploumanac’h (France)
2004–2014: Founder & Director of El Dragón de la Calderona, a stone sculpture space and
museum in a reclaimed quarry (Valencia, Spain)
2017–2020: Multiple international sculpture symposiums in Ukraine, Hungary, and Italy
AWARDS & RECOGNITION
1995: 1st Prize, Bizse Janos Sculpture Competition, Hungary
1997: 1st Prize, International Sculpture Contest, Salon d’Automne, Paron (France)
2014: Special Mention for Stone Sculpture, North Sculpture Company, Brooklyn, NY (USA)
SELECTED PUBLIC WORKS
1998: Trans for Mans – Opus 9, pink granite sculpture, Port of Perros-Guirec (France)
2004–2014: El Dragón de la Calderona, sculptural architecture, Sierra Calderona Natural Park (Spain)
2019: Union, stone sculpture for Tiszaháti Historical Museum (Ukraine)
2020: Uovo Alato, Circolo Culturale Il Faro (Italy)
2021: Time, monumental stone sculpture, Bobritsa Sculpture Village (Ukraine)
SELECTED EXHIBITIONS SOLO EXHIBITIONS
1998: Les Opus de Marmentini, CCMY, Toucy (France)
1999: Aktion RHEAktion, SSOCAPI Art Space, Paris (France)
2011: Rencontre Picto-littéraire with Pascal Sulcs, Rivoli 59, Paris (France)
2019: Vulkán Sculpture Park, Lake Balaton, Zalahalap (Hungary)
2023: 3-28 Nov. ALADOS, Malvin Gallery, Madrid
2024 1-21 Jan, METAVERSO, Fresco Marina, Sotogrande
GROUP SHOWS
1994: Castle Museum, Pécsvárad (Hungary)
1996: Tölgyfa Gallery, Budapest
1998: Mairie de Perros-Guirec, Brittany (France)
2007: Fundación Bancaja, Valencia (Spain)
2014: Magen Gallery, New York (USA)
2021: Marbella Design Week (Spain)
2022: LA CAJA BLANCA, Malaga
2024: Williamsburg Art & Historical Center, Brooklyn NY (USA)
2025: Bank Art Gallery, Newburgh NY (USA)
ALONGSIDE HER SCULPTURAL WORK, Marmentini explores similar
themes through painting — a two-dimensional extension of the forms, forces,
and symbols she brings to life in stone.”
marmentini.com
rhea@marmentini.org
(+1) 347 225 7770
@rheamarmentini