Exclusively a sculptor, Yves Dana’s pieces exhibit a resounding grace with their simple lines and elegant form. After a long journey with iron as his medium and years of exploring other materials, Dana began to work with stone in 1998, following his visit to Egypt, his country of birth. He thus imports blocks of basalt from Sweden, Limestone from France and Turkey, serpentine from Italy and diabase from Germany. Inspired by the power and purity of Egyptian sculptures, Dana began his oneness with stone. In the midst of creating a more intense form of art through texture and speckled surfaces, he manages to not only recall his Egyptian roots but also convey his deep love for the material. His creative genius and drive to produce art is essentially reflective of his personal journey through time. The contrast within each piece, the shading, colours and textures capture the juxtaposition of life and light from one day to another. It can be noted that his powerful works bloom from an often athletic struggle with raw matter.
Dana was born on the 25th of June 1959 in Alexandria, Egypt. He earned a BA in Sociology at the University of Lausanne, Switzerland and a MFA from l’Ecole des Beaux Arts of Geneva in 1983. A world-renowned sculptor, Dana’s monumental art pieces grace public spaces in the USA, France, Greece, Switzerland and Japan. His works have been featured in important museums and gallery exhibitions including the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Musée Jenisch in Vevey, Jan Krugier Gallery in New York, Galerie Krugier-Ditesheim in Geneva and several private collections. In 2015 Dana's works are presented in a retrospective exhibition at Arlaud Museum, Lausanne, Switzerland, as well as chronicled in a significant 420-page monograph.