Gold-colored bronze sculpture “Thinking of You” by Valerie Otte

Valerie Otte's bronze figures rarely present actual portraits, but rather sensitive character studies. They offer the viewer no pose, but instead a glimpse into people to whom one instinctively ascribes an emotional inner life. Otte's figures are completely self-contained, so that the viewer feels as if witnessing an intimate moment. Nevertheless, they are "in the world," as is particularly evident in her work "Thinking of You": The young woman sits lost in thought on a chair—perhaps in a quiet apartment, perhaps in a bustling café—gazing dreamily at her cell phone. Perhaps she is still hesitating to call a loved one she misses, perhaps she is looking at a photograph of them. Without a doubt, however, her thoughts are connected to the outside world. Valerie Otte grants the viewer a profound insight into the inner world of her protagonist. Valerie Otte's art—like that often found in figurative sculpture—can be described as a play of eyes at a distance. The prerequisite: precise observation. On the one hand, there's the artist. In her work, she translates everything she has observed in the world as a subtle stirring of emotion, a small gesture, or a moment of authenticity, imbuing it all with her art. The viewer, on the other hand, "reads" these traces cast in bronze and soon sees not merely sculptures, but personalities. It's a game that educates—not only about art, but also about the world. Valerie Otte (born 1977) studied sculpture and art history in London and Berlin. She subsequently earned a diploma in product design in Potsdam—this, taken together, describes the approach and versatility of her work.