Dodie YENCESSE

She studied first at the National School of "Arts Décoratifs" in Paris under Gimond, then at the Royal Academy of Stockholm.
Finally, betwen 1949 and 1951, she studied with Alexander Archipenko in New York and also at the "Art Students League" with William Zorach.
After 16 years spent as Fashion Co-ordinator for department stores and manufacturers in New York and Paris, she devoted herself completely to sculpture. Her first solo exhibition was in Paris in 1971.
Then, over the years, she had many participations in solo and group exhibitions. Among these :

Salon de la Peinture à l'Eau (Watercolours) at the Grand Palais in Paris.
Museum de la Monnaie (The Mint).
Museum of Natural Sciences - "Animals in Art throught the Ages".
Musée d'histoire naturelle d'Orléans
FIDEM (International shows for medals) in Finland, Italy, Spain, Portugal etc.
Salon des Artistes Français.
Salon des Animaliers (Sculptors of animals).
"Animal dans l'Art", Louvre des Antiquaires, Paris.
Bestiaire Contemporain, Mairie de Paris.
Salon d'Automne, Paris.
Salon d'Angers.

Main rewards :

1981   "ROTY" Prize, Taylor Foundation (Engraving  in Medals).
1982   "Marqueste Prize (Sculpture), Académie des Beaux-Arts, Paris.
1986   Bréauté Prize (Sculpture), Académie des Beaux-Arts, Paris.
1991   Gold Medal (Sculpture), Salon des Artistes Français, Paris.
1992   Prize (Sculpture), Académie des Beaux-Arts, Paris.
1999   Prize Colmont of Académie des Beaux-Arts for exhibition on the  Salon des Artistes Français
2001   Honor Medal (Sculpture), Salon des Artistes Français, Paris

Dodie Yencesse has been a regular contributor for several years  at La Monnaie (The Mint), (about 35 medals)(Club de la Monnaie). She works in plaster, bronze (limited series), or direct waxes cast in bronze and terra cotta.

Literature : "The Bronze of Animals from the Antiquity to the Present Times", author : Jean-Charles Hachet, publisher : Varia (1986).

A great lover of the nature, its seasons, its animals, that she contrast with the human madness, Dodie Yencesse finds her source of inspiration in plants, trees, but above all in animals which she is in league with by some sort of mysterious pact; "she can catch them in the depth of their truthfulness, sculpting them from the inside, to express their humble moral life, their soul so close that it can be felt, sometimes as tepid as a muzzle, that asks for nothing but love".

Some of her favorite themes are scenes betwen familiar animals and fellowship "man / animals".
D. Yencesse - Malandra