JUNE 24 - NOVEMBER 9, 2025

Ackerman Studios is thrilled to be partnering with Wilding Cran Gallery and CURA Art for Curvature, an exhibition of sculptures by Santa Fe-based artist, Michael Wilding, to be presented within the elegant grounds of Hotel Bel-Air.

Part of the exhibition series ‘Spatial Elegance –Timeless Horizons’ at Hotel Bel-Air, the programming centres around a refined discovery of excellence, presenting sculptures in the peaceful surroundings of the hotel’s lush grounds and scenic gardens. Drawing inspiration from the tranquil environs, the interplay of light, and the expansive Californian sky, the presentations will create an immersive and meditative experience.

Wilding's sculptures, rendered from marble, limestone, steatite and alabaster, communicate the artist's raw reverence for the ancient medium. Viewing his carving technique as an improvisational conversation with stone, Wilding's practice works to excavate the elegance held within a single slab formed over the course of millions of years. In a journey to unearth unknown forms by subtracting extraneous material, Wilding fully immerses himself in responding to the emotional impact of each chisel. While his technical process is quite labor intensive and time consuming, the graceful purity of the works can make one feel otherwise; soft sloping curves meet crests of hard line, accentuating dimension through light and shadow. In addition to his carved stone works, placed throughout the spaces in and around the hotel grounds, Wilding has included two bronze casts, molded and patinated to varying effect. By putting stone and bronze in dialogue with one another, the artist emphasizes the significance of material in communicating the impact of a particular form, as well as the capabilities imbued within each approach.

Part of the exhibition series ‘Spatial Elegance – Timeless Horizons’ at Hotel Bel-Air, the programming centres around a refined discovery of excellence, presenting sculptures in the peaceful surroundings of the hotel’s lush grounds and scenic gardens. Drawing inspiration from the tranquil environs, the interplay of light, and the expansive Californian sky, the presentations will create an immersive and meditative experience.

Wilding's sculptures, rendered from marble, limestone, steatite and alabaster, communicate the artist's raw reverence for the ancient medium. Viewing his carving technique as an improvisational conversation with stone, Wilding's practice works to excavate the elegance held within a single slab formed over the course of millions of years. In a journey to unearth unknown forms by subtracting extraneous material, Wilding fully immerses himself in responding to the emotional impact of each chisel. While his technical process is quite labor intensive and time consuming, the graceful purity of the works can make one feel otherwise; soft sloping curves meet crests of hard line, accentuating dimension through light and shadow. In addition to his carved stone works, placed throughout the spaces in and around the hotel’s expansive grounds, Wilding has included two bronze casts, molded and patinated to varying effect. By putting stone and bronze in dialogue with one another, the artist emphasizes the significance of material in communicating the impact of a particular form, as well as the capabilities imbued within each approach.

Michael Wilding (b.1953) pursued a career as an actor and musician until he moved to Santa Fe, New Mexico in 1991, where he set into motion his career as a stone sculptor, focusing mainly on abstracted form. His interest in carving stone began with a fascination of it's different approach to achieving a result. He was intrigued with the idea of finding something in the stone by extracting material, “building something by removing what might be extraneous.” Inspired by the landscape of the high desert in his home of New Mexico, Wilding is “moved by the shapes that occur when earth, wind and water have their way with the environment. These are collaborations which sometimes result in great elegance and grace. I’m also interested in conveying a sense of fluidity and movement in the work. For me, sculpting is a collaboration, a kind of improvisational journey, a conversation with stone.” Wilding has shown at Wilding Cran Gallery, Los Angeles, CA; G2 Gallery, Santa Fe, NM; Tambaran Gallery, New York, NY; Ernesto Mayans Gallery, Santa Fe, NM; Glenn Green Gallery, Santa Fe, NM; Santa Fe Armory Show, Santa Fe, NM, and at GF Contemporary, Santa Fe, NM. Michael Wilding is currently represented by G2 Gallery in Santa Fe and Wilding Cran Gallery in Los Angeles.