<span>Take a leisurely stroll through The Pointe, the latest neighbourhood on the Palm, and you may come face to face with wildlife. A playful crocodile frolics around as a bear satisfies its appetite and a golden falcon, nearly six metres tall, </span><span>takes pride of place against the backdrop of Atlantis, The Palm. These limited-edition, polygonal animal sculptures are the creations of French-Tunisian sculptor Idriss B, who moved to the UAE last year.</span> <span>Born and raised in France, Idriss's foray into the world of art and sculpture came </span><span>three years ago, wh</span><span>ile he was designing and producing windows for </span><span>major brands (think Dior and Coach)</span><span>. Idriss was diagnosed with gout, </span><span>a condition that left him bedridden for months</span><span>, and </span><span>restless from spending </span><span>all that time in bed, the animal lover picked up a pen and paper</span><span>, and "rediscovered" a childhood hobby of sketching, first creating a gorilla. He </span><span>enjoyed the process so much that he set about turning </span><span>the drawing into a sculpture </span><span>– and a successful career.</span> <span>"When my wife and friends saw it, they loved it," </span><span>Idriss says. "I </span><span>started getting orders to create customised pieces. Everyone relates to a certain animal and colour, and people wanted pieces that were exclusive to them. At first I didn't want to put my name on them, either </span><span>– it was my wife who convinced me otherwise</span><span>."</span> <span>Idriss started to create</span><span> limited-edition animal sculptures, distinguishable </span><span>by their life-size proportions and polygonal form. For</span><span> him, it was an attempt to express </span><span>feelings through the</span><span>ir poses. "Animals express emotions in more clear ways," he says.</span><span> </span> <span>To find the right pose, Idriss studies wildlife documentaries. He then </span><span>sketches out </span><span>a design, a process he says takes weeks to get </span><span>right. When he's satisfied, he uses 3D printing technology to create </span><span>a mould for his animal. The final </span><span>sculpture is </span><span>produced using resin and fibreglass, and </span><span>can be made in a variety of colours and finishes</span><span>. Some sculptures feature more than one colour, some have gold finishes, while </span><span>others can be encrusted with gems</span><span>. The prices for his</span><span> work range from Dh10,000 to Dh50,000.</span> <span>It takes four to six months to complete each project. “I’m my first client,” he says with a laugh. “If I’m not happy with the sculpture, I trash it and start the process all over again.”</span> <span>Every animal's pose is unique, the artist says, </span><span>and sends out a different message. "For example, I wanted the crocodile to be playful, childish even. I don't want people to think of them as something to be afraid of," he</span><span> says. "With environmental issues increasingly coming into the limelight, it's about bringing you closer to animals</span><span>. At the end of the day, we're all connected."</span>
