César Baldaccini French, 1921-1998

César Baldaccini, known simply as César, was born in 1921 in Marseille and died in 1998 in Paris. A major sculptor of the 20th century, he was a key figure in the Nouveau Réalisme movement, which he joined in 1961 alongside artists like Arman, Niki de Saint Phalle, and Yves Klein. His work is renowned for its innovative use of materials and its engagement with modern industrial society.

Trained at the École des Beaux-Arts in Marseille and later in Paris, César began his career creating welded iron sculptures with organic, biomorphic forms. He gained fame in the 1960s with his iconic Compressions—car bodies and metal objects crushed with industrial presses—challenging conventional notions of volume, form, and artistic value.

He later created the Expansions, liquid polyurethane forms that capture the moment of spreading matter, and Human Imprints, hyperrealistic casts of body parts, suspended between figuration and abstraction.

César represented France at the Venice Biennale (1995) and exhibited in major international institutions including the Centre Pompidou, Tate Modern, and MoMA. He is also widely known for designing the trophy of the César Awards, the French equivalent of the Oscars, awarded annually since 1976.