A couple in life, as well as art, French Moroccan artist Yasmina Alaoui and Chilean photographer Marco Guerra, fuse their unique aesthetic styles and talents to create a new series of evocative nudes that emanate sensuality, mesmerizing the viewer.

Born in 1977 in New York, Alaoui spent her childhood in France and Morocco, eventually studying at the Ecole Du Louvre in Paris and graduating with a B.A. in Fine Arts from William and Mary College in Williamsburg, Virginia. Guerra, born in Chile in 1965, is a fashion photographer, whose work has gained international acclaim through such publications as Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, and Conde Nast Traveller, as well as famous fashion brands and houses such as Levi’s, Bergdorf Goodman and Ralph Lauren.

In their work, figures inhabit a mysterious, dream-like plane, and where the artists exemplify the inter-play of light and color on the nude form. These scenes are intimate; the delicate lines of the hands and arms give way to the sinuous waves of the back and folds of the skin.

Technically, Alaoui and Guerra’s artwork begins with Guerra photographing the nude subject in black and white. He sculpts the models’ statuesque curves by creating a strong contrast between light and shadow. Then, Alaoui digi-tally fuses onto the photographs delicately patterned, hand painted drawings composed of watercolor and china ink, inspired by Arabic calligraphy, henna tattoos and primitive art. This sophisticated photography combined with the intricate patterning result in the emergence of great sensuality, illusion, and a taste for movement. Their work points to the mysterious and carnal, harkens the ancient and the modern, and mirrors the duality between the feminine and the masculine.

According to Alaoui, “The drawings are emotions, the history of the soul. We all have these designs on us. They are hallmarks of our past, our hopes, our perceptions, our heritage and our intimate dreams. Unlike tattoos, which are made deliberately, they are not a choice. They are like an emanation of the soul that would appear on the skin.”

Alaoui and Guerra have exhibited globally, in both solo and group exhibi-tions in the United States, Europe and the Middle East. Their works are part of many private collections. Currently, the artists live and work in New York.

Yasmina Alaoui and Marco Guerra

Odalisque 1, Edition of 3Photography38 x 68.5 inches

Golden Nymphs, Edition of 3Photography

71 x 76 inches

Gold Duo, Edition of 3Photography

65 x 73.5 inches

Gold Star, Edition of 3Photography

82 x 33 inches

Purple 1, Edition of 3Photography

32 x 40 inches

Odalisque 2, Edition of 3Photography

38 x 68.5 inches

Red 3, Edition of 3Photography

36 x 55 inches

Mauro Corda

Born in 1960 in France, Mauro Corda’s love of sculpture began at the age of 15 when he enrolled at the Beaux-Arts in Reims. His technical training continued at the Paris Beaux-Arts where he won his first prize. His artwork during this time period reflected the pain and loss he felt due to the tragic death of his brother; sculptural forms are cast with lowered heads, tearful eyes and open hands, and evoke a sense of love, absence, and contemplation. Following this tumultuous time, Corda’s success began to flourish during the nineties, paving the road for the themes and ideas he incorporates into his artwork today.

A multi-media sculptor, Corda applies a diverse array of patinas to his bronzes, including chrome, silver, gilding and paint. He casts works in aluminum, stainless steel, glass and iron, as well as working in marble and terra cotta. His sculptures offer a visual exchange that allows the viewer to question his work instantly, creating a continual dialogue between space and man. His central theme is to portray both the human and animal form in a plethora of roles, environments and situations. As a testament to his masterful technique, Corda will often redo a bronze bust in ceramic so as to illuminate aspects of its essence that remain hidden in bronze.

Corda’s artwork, exemplified in the form of acrobats, contortionists, dogs, fish, and fragmented body parts, melds the modern and classic into an airy and fluctuating universe, where every body is equipped with a flexibility that elevates itself to harmony, gently vibrating in the surrounding space. As a result of his ability to transform the tension and real physicality of the sculpture into an intangible airiness, Corda’s forms silently swim in imaginary seas or are suspended in an undefined limbo. Corda states, “When I think of my creations, I imagine them to be weightless.” His choice of materials is fundamental to his new and original expressions, and can be seen in the intricate figures that twist themselves into impressive poses, or in the fish that assemble into schools suspended in the ether.

Corda continues to exhibit globally and accept stately commissions. He has received several prizes including the Paul Belmondo Prize for Best Sculpture, the Charles Malfray Drawing Prize, the Paul-Louis Weiller Portrait Prize, and the Princess Grace Foundation Award. Mauro Corda currently lives and works in France.

La Gatta Assise, Edition of 8White bronze29.5 x 43.3. x 17.7 inches

Poisson Por EpicAluminum53.9 x 53.9 x 86.6 inches

Contorsionniste au Cercle MoyenneWhite bronze and stainless steel

34.6 x 34.3 x 13.8 inches

Contorsionniste VIIBronze patina silver

33.5 x 11.8 x 11.8 inches

Contorsionniste VNickel plated bronze

12.2 x 35.4 x 7.9 inches

OutrageCast iron

68.1 x 3.4 x 25.2 inches

Contorsionniste au Masque MickeyBronze

44.5 x 16.1 x 12.6 inches