TANIA GOTTRAUX

Tania Gottraux was born in Switzerland in 1968. After completing mandatory schooling, she attended the CSIA (Centro Scolastico Industrie Artistiche) in Lugano, earning a diploma in Decorative Arts in 1987. She then moved to Paris to study sculpture at the ENSB-A (École Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts), where she obtained a Diplôme Supérieur in Fine Arts in 1992. She remained in Paris for over ten years, exhibiting mainly in group shows both in the city and its surroundings.

Returning to Switzerland, she set up a studio in the Gambarogno region of Ticino. Alongside creating sculptures and jewelry, she exhibited her work in solo and group shows and taught modeling courses to both children and adults. She later moved her studio to Locarno‘s old town and, in 2022, decided to dedicate herself exclusively to her passion by opening an art gallery (Tania Art Galerie), where she showcases her works.

Passion for materials has been the common thread throughout Tania’s life. Volumes, fullness and emptiness, shadows, gestures, plasticity, expression, movement, dynamism, emotions, feelings, and magic are the driving forces behind her urge to sculpt. With maturity, she began to enjoy the creative process, and since then, something has propelled her to share her passion more and more. After years of honing her craft, today Tania Gottraux connects spirit and matter. She allows herself to be surprised by the results, almost as if her hands were guided by an invisible force. Magic happens during her work – things take shape, solutions emerge, and whimsical creations are born. She enjoys exploring quirky details, improbable poses, and subtle movements that, in her view, immediately imbue a sculpture with dynamism. For her, sculpting has become an active meditation.

About her art, she says: «I deeply love life, nature, and animals… I see beauty in everything. Everything has meaning, happens for a reason, helps us grow spiritually, and pushes us to respond and take steps toward serenity. I experiment with different materials and mediums because, for me, creativity is everywhere—it has no limits. I’m interested in everything and am naturally very curious. I believe that when you create in a joyful state of mind, your work reflects that joy, and people can sense it. It’s in this spirit that I love to work. Having a sparkle in my eyes simply because I feel good, in the right place, doing my best, has become a priority in my life».