Jean Martin o
I have lived in Saint Barthélemy for almost 10 years. Before becoming a full-time artist, I was a welder and I came here to practice this profession. This activity allowed me to discover not only the stainless steel work which has become the main characteristic of my art but also to explore St Barthélemy by working in its sumptuous villas with marvelous views. I no longer felt the need to live elsewhere and I continue today to visit and discover this little piece of paradise. I hike a lot through the mountains and along the coast. There are some beaches that you can only reach by taking long, steep paths. I love the social life of the island made up of people from different horizons, with original and enriching encounters. We can go out in the evening or eat in a restaurant on the beach on Sundays. Saint Barthélemy is a small island and despite the pleasure that I have to live there, it is also important for me to be able to leave it from time to time for other horizons and other discoveries.
When I discovered the large and splendid villas of Saint Barthélemy thanks to my job as a welder, I was seduced by the force of the elements which surround them. The water is very present, there is always this inevitable connection between the swimming pool and the ocean, like a call of nature. The wind blows all year round on St Barth, this small island in the middle of the ocean. In the villas, you can hear the palm leaves waving. The wind protects us from the heat of the sun. Sometimes a gust passes and disturbs the water of the swimming pool by creating small ripples. With my series of divinities, I try to tell these elements, to represent them. There is Tethis, a sea goddess who takes water in her hands. There is Aeolus, the god of the wind who stands proudly in front of the ocean. Calycé, daughter of Aeolus with her hair and her dress in the wind. My sculptures are made of metal, an element that comes from the earth. It finds its natural place among the elements of St Barth. I try to combine the elegance of polished metal and the grace of divinities with the refinement of villas. My sculptures are made to blend into the decor of the villas, to become one with them.
