Charles Lawrence, an artist from Alicante, placed his distinctive spear within a three-meter statue created for an international sculpture symposium in Fordongianus, Sardinia. The event, held in the Italian town last week, gathered six invited sculptors to participate. Between July 28 and August 5, these artists collaborated to craft a fragment intended for permanent installation on the island of Sardinia.
Alicante-born Lawrence joined four Italian artists and one Belgian sculptor, a lineup that included three women and three men. Together they worked to extract a sedimentary stone known as trachyte, a material prized for its workability in sculpture and its enduring quality for outdoor displays in the community setting of Fordongianus.
Lawrence’s commission is titled Exoskeleton and measures 310 by 60 by 40 centimeters. The artist notes that the current project explores animal exoskeletons, blending geometric and organic forms. He describes how fossils and natural structures can be transformed into modern stone sculptures that still feel contemporary in their presentation and interpretation.
Among the participants, Lawrence is a 38-year veteran in sculpture, co-authoring with Natalya Ferro on a statue that depicts flying mouths. This monument pays tribute to the victims of Covid and stands near a prominent hospital in Alicante. Lawrence is accustomed to working with stone, though he acknowledges the challenge of the Sardinian material. He remarks that the trachyte used at Fordongianus is soft yet compact, a contrast to the marbles and limestones he typically handles in Alicante. It was his first experience working in Italy but the eleventh sculpture symposium he has attended in his career.
“The idea behind the event is to celebrate artistic collaboration rather than competition. There are no prizes, only the shared joy of creation and the chance to contribute something meaningful to the town,” Lawrence explains from the workshop setup during the week.
He adds that sculptors often spend long hours alone in studios, drawing and planning. Stepping outside to share perspectives with fellow artists provides fresh insights, new techniques, and opportunities to learn from one another. For Carlos Lorenzo, leaving a current job to pursue such projects is worth the commitment because each site offers valuable experience—plus the pride that comes with creating something that becomes part of the place and its people.
Fordongianus hosts six artifacts in its public spaces, with several pieces placed near 1st-century Roman baths and in open-air areas adjacent to a spa. This setup invites locals and visitors to view and interact with the sculptures—an experience Lorenzo finds especially rewarding when interest from the public grows and tourist traffic increases. The artist from Alicante plans to extend his stay in the area to continue engaging with residents and travelers who stop to admire the works.
Lorenzo has a history of participating in similar symposiums across Europe, including Germany, Belgium, Greece, and Turkey. He even envisions organizing his own stone sculpture event in Alicante, hoping to foster a regional tradition that celebrates hands-on sculpture in the natural landscape around the city.