Process
ENG — Process
The construction of each sculpture begins with the translation of a gestural form into physical volume. Depending on the nature and scale of the work, I use solid wood, moisture-resistant MDF, or bronze. With wood and MDF, the form is developed through cutting, assembling, carving, sanding, and progressive shaping. For the bronze works, an initial model is created and reproduced in wax; from this wax form, a mold is prepared for casting, into which molten bronze is poured. Once released from the mold, the bronze is worked, polished, and finished by hand until the desired surface is achieved. Across each material, the process combines technical precision with intuition, seeking a balance between mass, void, curve, and tension.
Rough Block
Solid oak is cut roughly to profile outdoors, following the curve traced from the original painting.
Shaping & Clamping
Layers are cut, glued and clamped, then the interior voids are hollowed by hand.
Hand Finishing
Every curve is sanded smooth by hand, refining the silhouette pass after pass.
Seal & Lacquer
A final coat — matte oil or high-gloss lacquer — seals the wood and sets the finished color.
Bronce Process
Costa Rica → Madrid
Martén works between an open-air studio in Costa Rica, where the wood is sourced and roughed, and a Madrid workshop where pieces are finished, lacquered and bronze-cast