"One's life journey is an evolution of the inner being resulting from our struggle with the forces that form true identity. In my sculpture I draw from the fundamental discord between our life and the natural, spiritual, and cultural environments, and how the bridge between all these elements redefines them."
Artists Statement
I see my work as a small link in the long tradition of sculptural object making, a practice that uses the language of plasticity in the creation of forms capable of storing and emanating spiritual energy. My sculptures are relatives of the organic forms, which surround me in my everyday life in rural Newfoundland. Through my work I attempt to grasp the inherent chasm and unity between humans and the world around us in our constant search for a place between the atoms and the stars.
Some of the sculptures are made by combining found natural objects with added-on sculpted elements. In others, I sculpt grasses bound with wax. The finished sculpture is cast in bronze using the lost wax, or "lost grass" method. My wooden and stone sculptures are carved, sand blasted and charred in order to attain a state of "controlled erosion" - a natural condition animated by intelligent will.
The techniques, methods and processes I use are a function of a personal philosophy and value system and are also a reflection of the forces in my ambiance. These forces coupled with the power of intuition and emotion form the nucleus of my work.
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Luben immigrated to Canada in 1990 and settled with his family in Newfoundland. Since 1991 he has operated and owned the Garden Studio and Foundry in Logy Bay, Newfoundland. He has exhibited nationally and internationally and has numerous sculptural commissions and awards to his credit. In 2001 he was presented with the Artist of the Year Award by the Newfoundland and Labrador Arts Council.
Luben did many years of study in fine art in Bulgaria. He has an MFA in Sculpture, Academy of Fine Arts, Sofia, Bulgaria.
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