Alicia N. Ponzio

The Hider and The Seeker represent forces that tend toward equilibrium as one or the other reaches a tipping point… they are an allegory. Installed in a private home in Minneapolis, The Hider will be situated in a niche at the intersection of 2 hallways. Her hair suggests a cloak that she gazes out from underneath, restlessly turning her head, vigilant, with her body in a protective stance.

Modeled originally in clay at 50” tall, she is slightly under life size. She was then cast in bronze by the artist at The Crucible in Oakland, California, using the lost wax/ceramic shell method.

Bronze

50 x 13 x 13 inches

1/1

Private commission in the collection of Mr Walter Broughton III

The Seeker and The Hider represent forces that tend toward equilibrium as one or the other reaches a tipping point… they are an allegory. Installed in a private home in Minneapolis, The Seeker stands boldly as the centerpiece on an outdoor veranda, shielding her eyes from the sun as she gazes into the house, in the direction of The Hider. The two figures are a single composition though they will not be seen together in the same space. The gaze of The Seeker directs viewers into the home and toward The Hider. The Hider’s vigilant stance will create a tension, an expectation…we’ll share her apprehension as waits anxiously to be found.

Modeled originally in clay at 54” tall, The Seeker is slightly under life size. She was then cast in bronze by the artist at The Crucible in Oakland, California, using the lost wax/ceramic shell method.

Bronze

54 x 30 x 13 inches

1/1

Private commission in the collection of Mr Walter Broughton III

This full scale bust was commissioned by Dr. and Mrs. Zeljko and Tanya Radic, to be given as a gift to the Nashville Symphony in honor of Maestro Guerrero’s 10th anniversary with the orchestra. It was completed in August 2018 and unveiled on September 8th as a permanent installation in the Main Lobby of Nashville’s Schermerhorn Symphony Center.

In preparation for creating the final piece, I visited Nashville and attended performances, met with Maestro Guerrero and spent time in the Main Lobby envisioning the look of the piece and how it would best complement the architecture.

It was an honor and a pleasure to work with Maestro Guerrero on this project; and after meeting him and attending performances, my intent was to capture in the bronze his seriousness as an artist and his joy in creating music.

The piece was cast entirely by the artist, using the facilities at The Crucible in Oakland, California.

Bronze

24 x 24 x 14 inches

2018

1/1

In the collection of the Nashville Symphony, on permanent display at the Schermerhorn Symphony Center, Main Lobby, in Nashville, TN

Kelly's Crown is a full-scale portrait of Ms. Kelly Jackson. The piece was completed in 2015 and in that same year was awarded Fine Art Connoisseur's Award of Excellence at the California Art Club's 104th Gold Medal Exhibition.  

The piece was modeled from life over the course of several meetings with Ms. Jackson. It's executed in plaster treated with clay and wax, and mounted on a unique marble base of Portoro marble, a rare and stunning material from the island of Portoro. 

Plaster on Marble base

20 x 10 x 10 inches 

2015

Awards:

The Fine Art Connoisseur Award of Excellence at the California Art Club's 104th Gold Medal Show 2015

Contact the artist for more information

This seven-inch portrait bust is the subject of an ongoing project to experiment with surface treatments and presentation. Seen here is the first bronze casting with a green patina. Below is an artists' proof which is a wall hanging plaster on a wooden backdrop, stained with tea and ink (a treatment I use often with plaster pieces). The piece was modeled from imagination and is intended to be ambiguous in identity, gender, age, and expression in order to explore how different treatments will affect the perception of the piece.  

The artist's proof was sold to benefit the Portrait Society of America at their annual Art of the Portrait Conference in Atlanta, GA.

Seen in bronze on wooden base (above), and plaster on wooden backdrop (below)

7 x 5 x 4 inches 

2017

Edition 1 and 2 (of 6) bronze castings in private collections.

Plaster Artists’ Proof in the collection of Suzie Baker

Plaster Artist’s Proof in the collection of Karen Taylor

Wax Artist’s Proof in the collection of Michele Scanlon

Plaster Artist's Proof is in the collection of Felice House and Dana Younger 

Fragment 04 (version 2.0) is a wall hanging bronze on an Afromosia Wood backdrop. It’s a casting of a literal fragment of another portrait, Mr. Koch. During the casting process, the original clay is pulled from the mold and discarded. The pieces of clay are stored in a bin to dry out and eventually recycle. At times when digging through the bin to recycle clay, I find a piece of a portrait or figure. Often the way it’s worn and damaged in the bin is interesting to me and can’t be replicated. Fragment 04 was one of those pieces. I made a casting of it in bronze and mounted it on a wooden backdrop. It’s finished with a white-gray patina, rubbed back to reveal the warm tones bronze in some areas, which harmonize with the tones in the wooden backdrop and bring life to the surface. The backdrop is crowned with a rising curve to complete the composition.

Bronze on Wooden Backdrop

6x 9 x 5 inches

2019

First casting auctioned at the Fire and Light Soiree to benefit The Crucible’s programs and scholarships, March 2019

Held in a private collection in Oakland, CA

A figure that embodies the arrival of an idea, an inspiration:  She at once touches down and launches into space. She lends a lightness and movement to the bronze. 

The piece was modeled in clay at my studio in San Francisco. An edition of 3 bronzes were cast. 

Bronze on granite base

51 x 40 x 16 inches 

First Casting 2015

Edition of 3 

Awards: 

The Robert Merrell Gage award for Best Figure Composition at the California Art Club's 104th Gold Medal Show, 2015 

Finalist, The Art Renewal Center's Annual International Salon, 2016 

 In the collection of Peter and Elaine Adams

Into Oblivion is a tiny figure modeled in wax and cast directly in bronze as a unique piece. The piece is mounted on a hand carved wooden base that presents the figure as if on stage. The figure is in a fit of uncontrollable laughter. 

We've blurred the lines between entertainment and reality, often allowing ourselves to find humor at the expense of others: a practice that erodes our own dignity and character. Though the laughter seems harmless at first, it takes on a more menacing quality in this light. 

To see a photo-essay describing the casting of Into Oblivion: Click Here.

Bronze on Wood

8 x 7 x 6 inches 

2016

1/1 

Contact the Artist for more information.

Beyond This portrays a crouching figure whose back is curved in a protective posture. Her limbs guard the core of her body while she strains her neck to peer outward. The form is conceived as one mass with pierced areas that allow light to enter the composition. There's an element of restlessness in her body language: describing our tendency to always ask 'what else'... what lies beyond this? 

This is the first bronze casting of Beyond This (one plaster exists as a wall hanging composition). Cast entirely by the artist, the bronze is finished with a cold patina process that brings out cool green opaque colors to contrast with the warmth of the bronze that makes appearances on the surface, creating an ethereal effect. 

This first casting, an Artist's Proof, debuted at the California Art Club's 106th Gold Medal Exhibition at the Autry Museum of the American Wet. It is now in the collection of Mr. John Tierney. 

Claudia Regina Del Fiume, a full-scale portrait study of theater actress, Ms. Claudia Pinzauti. It was a study in preparation for a larger, two-figure composition entitled The Letting Go. I saw in Claudia an archetype: a face and expression that suggest empathy, emotional intelligence. 

It was modeled from life in my studio while living in Florence, Italy.

Bronze on Belgian Marble

20 x 9 x 12

2010

edition of 13

Awards and Honors: 

Honor Award from the Portrait Society of America 2011

Finalist Society of Portrait Sculptors' annual portrait salon: FACES 2011

Finalist in Sculpture, Art Renewal Center Annual Salon 2012 

In the collections of Mr. Howard Ralls, Mr.Mitchell Vexler, and Dr. and Mrs. Zjelko Radic, as well as private collections in The United States and and United Kingdom.

Contact the Artist for more information, castings available on comission

I'm interested in portraying young women as individuals with thoughts and ideas. Imminent Voice depicts a self-conscious young woman accompanied by her notebook, which represents her potential contributions. Her clothing and hairstyle, as well as her casual posture place her in contemporary times. She's portrayed with eagerness and trepidation simultaneously: with a desire to enter the conversation, but awkwardness and fear at the same time. 

This is the first casting of Imminent Voice in an edition of 2. It's cast in bronze and shown on a wooden base. She's designed to interact directly with the environment. The bronze can easily be adapted to sit on the edge of a shelf or any horizontal surface, or can be shown with the existing base. I envision the piece as being integrated into an office or home environment with no need for a formal pedestal. 

Bronze on wooden base 

14 x 6 x 4 inches (bronze dimensions)

2018

1/2

First showing at california Art Club Gold Medal Exhibition 2018

The Lingering Shadows is a three-figure composition that describes the experience of exclusion. It was modeled from my imagination, memory, and personal experience, with the physical composition taking it's form from a Bonsai arrangement. 

Bronze on Belgian Marble 

28 x 24 x 12

2012

edition of 12

Awards:

The ARC First Place in Sculpture, 2012

The Catharine Lorillard Wolfe Art Club Gold Medal in Sculpture, 2014

The California Art Club's Julia Bracken Wendt award for Best Multi-Figure Composition, 2014

In the collection of Mr. Howard Ralls

Contact the Haynes Galleries

An imaginative figure, conceived originally as the male figure in The Letting Go, the original was modeled in 2009. The figure represents an individual moving forward with some trepidation, leaving one time and place but focusing on the gifts he's received there. Though the male figure in The Letting Go evolved into a different pose, this piece was cast at Artworks Foundry in 2012 as a one-of-a-kind bronze. 

Bronze on Marble Base 

18 x 11 x 6 inches 

2012 

1/1 

This piece is currently in an auction to benefit CASA , a non-profit organization that provides advocates for children who are navigating the foster care system. 

To see the auction, click here. it runs through February 25th, 2017.

Fragment 02 is an alternate version of a free standing figure, Searching for the Present. As a wall-hanging vignette, attention is focused on the expressive elements of the composition. Sculpted in the round, the figure maintains its volume against the hardwood backdrop that frames it. 

Using the casting process as an vehicle for experimentation, an image can be represented in varying contexts and take on unique expressions. 

It was shown at Arte Verissima gallery in 2015 at my solo show, Within Silence.

Plaster on Mahogany 

2014

edition 1/1

In the collection of Mr. Kelvin Chen 

I modeled this self portrait in 2013 at my studio in San Francisco, two years after moving back to the United States from Florence, Italy. I'd been through a few big changes and was feeling overwhelmingly tired. Looking back to my first self portrait from 2007, What Was, I didn't feel that it had really represented me. I wanted to take time to reflect and an honest, current look at myself. 

In Recent Days was first shown at the California Art Club's 104th Gold Medal Show at the Autry Museum in Los Angeles in 2015. In the same year it was awarded First Place in Sculpture by the Portrait Society of America. It is cast in an edition of 3, in stained plaster on a wooden base. I have always had an affinity for plaster and the variety of effects that can be achieved with this humble material. It suggests that the value of the object lies in its content. 

Stained Plaster on Walnut Wood Base

22 x 9 x 10 inches 

First Casting in 2014

Edition of 3 

Awards; 

First Place, Sculpture at the Portrait Society of America's Annual Portrait Competition 2016 

Finalist, The Art Renewal Center's Annual International Salon 2016 

Contact: 

The Haynes Galleries 

I spend a great deal of time observing nature and, through the medium of graphite on paper, exploring the ways in which nature expresses herself. This series of drawings created between 2013 and 2015 are evidence of this learning process that shapes my figurative work to a large degree. The studies were created in San Francisco at various public parks including Golden Gate Park and Buena Vista Park.

In Order of Appearance (dimensions include frame): 

In Retrospect

Graphite on Stonehenge paper, framed 

16 x 19 inches 

2014

Indecision

Graphite on paper, framed 

14 x 16 inches

2013

Supplication

Graphite on Stonehenge paper, framed 

16 x 16 inches 

2014

Totality

Graphite on Stonehenge paper, framed

16.5 x 20 inches 

2014

Enmeshed

Graphite on Stonehenge paper, framed

18 x 15 inches 

2014

Uncomfortable Proximity

Graphite on Stonehenge paper, framed

16 x 16 inches

2013 

In a private collection 

Transcendance

Charcoal and white chalk on toned Stonehenge paper, framed

21 x 17 inches 

2014

in a private collection 

The Letting Go is a large scale, two-figure composition describing the ultimate moment in shared time and space between individuals. It's executed in bronze on a Belgian marble base which is integrated into the composition. It was cast in Pietrasanta, Italy at Mariani Foundry in 2011 and again in 2013. 

The piece is deeply personal: related to events in my life that taught me to grow and ultimately to appreciate experiences and relationships. In my mind, work that is deeply personal has the potential to resonate on a universal scale as it allows others to connect with the artist and with each other. 

Bronze on Belgian Marble

60 x 30 x 16 inches 

First Casting 2011

Edition of 5

Awards:

2nd Place, Sculpture in the Art Renewal Center's Annual International Salon, 2011

In a private collection

Please contact the Haynes Galleries for more information and availability. 

The Echo Chamber is a two-figure composition focusing on the interaction between two individuals who are failing to communicate.  One represents aggressive and the other, passive, behavior. The composition focuses on the torso, hands, and faces of the figures, while the lower portions are suggested by the vertical elements in the pedestal.

The piece is seen here as an Artist's Proof in plaster on walnut wood. The pedestals establish the subjects in relation to each other and place them at equal height.

Plaster, Walnut Wood

67 x 50 x 16 inches 

2016

Artist's Proof

Awards: 

Honorable mention at the Art Renewal Center's International Salon 2015-16

Exhibited at the California Art Club 105th Gold Medal Show, 2016

For more information, please contact the artist.

I spend a great deal of time sketching trees and natural forms for inspiration. This piece was inspired by the imagery of  hollow tree trunks with gnarled roots penetrating and clinging to the ground beneath. As the exploration continued, I saw and developed the potential for human aspects embodied in this form: the  positive shape of the human hand, and the negative space  behind the hand suggesting a torso in motion. 

In Final Form  was modeled in wax  and cast in bronze directly using the lost wax method. The specific  process employed creates a one-of-a-kind casting. 

Bronze on Walnut Wood 

9 x 5 x 5 inches

2016 

ed. 1/1 

Contact the artist for more information 

Penelope was an early concept sketch done in preparation for the large scale composition, The Letting Go. I'll often experiment with poses at a smaller scale, working from imagination to create elements of a composition, or to work out the composition as a whole. Sometimes, the sketch will assume its own narrative as is the case with Penelope, a figure describing experiences of loss.

Penelope has been cast in both plaster and bronze. The bronzes were poured in Italy at Art'u' bronze casting studio in Fiesole, Italy, and at Artworks Foundry in Berkeley, California. 

Bronze, Belgian Marble (alternately stained plaster, wood)

15 x 6 x 6 inches 

2011

edition 15

In the collection of Mr. Jorgen Roemark, Mr. Gary Roy, Mr. Paolo Ronconi, Mr. Alexey Steele

Contact Haynes Galleries for more information

Many of my portrait studies are of subjects I choose, based on my fascination with the human face and character. I met Irving shortly after moving back to the United States from Italy, and enjoyed working with him as a model. During the sessions, he often told me stories that made me laugh until my eyes watered: he was warm, and kind, and at times weary of posing as a model. 

Two bronzes of Irving were cast at Artworks Foundry in 2013. He was exhibited at the California Art Club's 103rd Gold Medal Show in 2014, and The Portrait Society of America's Annual International Portrait Salon the same year, where he received an Award of Exceptional Merit. He was recognized by the Art Renewal Center in 2012-13 salon with an Honorable Mention and was a finalist in the Society for Portrait Sculptor's (UK) Annual FACES competition in 2013. 

Bronze on Belgian Marble 

2013 

2 AP's cast

Awards: 

Award of Exceptional Merit, The Portrait Society of America's Annual International Portrait Competition, 2013

Honorable Mention, The Art Renewal Center's Annual International Salon, 2012-13

Finalist, The Society for Portrait Sculptors' FACES competition, 2013

In the collection of Dr. and Mrs. Zjelko and Tanya Radic

Contact John Pence Gallery 

Solace, drawing in charcoal and white chalk on Roma paper, is a two-dimensional version of Searching for the Present. The drawing was begun before the sculpture, as a rough sketch to work out ideas, and then set aside. The sculpture was completed in 2009 and cast in 2010. In 2013 (years later, and after having moved from Italy to San Francisco)  I revisited the drawing and took it to completion.

2013

In the collection of Mr. Walter Broughton 

Mr. Koch is a life-size portrait study of Mr. Terry Koch, related to a larger composition entitled, The Echo Chamber. The task I set out for myself was to create a particular emotional effect, to describe a character of stern and dogmatic nature. 

The piece is executed in stained  plaster on a wooden base, cast by the artist in 2015. In 2016 it was awarded First Place, Sculpture at the Portrait Society of America's Annual International Portrait Salon and exhibited at the California Art Club's 105th Gold Medal Show at the Autry Museum in Los Angeles. 

Plaster on wood

2015

20 x 10 x 10 inches 

edition of 3

Contact American Legacy Fine Art for more information. 

Portrait Study II: Ward is a life-size portrait study created in preparation for The Echo Chamber. Working with the model, here I set out to portray a person who's playing the passive part in the discussion,  as opposed to Mr. Koch, who portrays the aggressor. Capturing the character type was the primary goal; though I studied Ward's features intently, fascinated by the structures and forms of his likeness. 

Plaster on Wooden Base

17 x 10 x 9 inches 

2015

Artist's Proof

Contact the artist with inquiries.

Shown at the California Art Club's Gold Medal Show

The Absent Man is a portrait bust describing not so much a particular person as a state of mind. It was modeled from life in 2008, and cast for the first time in Florence in 2010 as a plaster which was juried into the 2011 FACES show of the Society for Portrait Sculptors in London. That casting is now lost. A one-of-a-kind bronze was cast in 2011 and is in the collection of Mr. Brad Wilson. Shown is the second plaster casting. 

Plaster on Walnut Wood

20 x 10 x 10 inches 

2012 

3/3 castings, available 

Finalist at the FACES competition of the Society for Portrait Sculptors, 2011

Contact the artist for more information 

The Centaur is a unique  life-size bronze. It's a psychological portrait of an artist (my partner, Justin Hess). An extremely personal piece, it was created while studying in Italy and cast at Artu bronze casting studio in Fiesole. The composition includes the upper torso and arms which are elements of the narrative. 

It's executed in bronze with a silver nitrate patina, on a Belgian marble base. 

36 x 20 x 12 inches 

2009

1/1 

In a private Collection

Ode to Imperfection is a unique wall-hanging bronze piece, mounted on a hand finished teak wood backdrop. It was created using the sand casting method for pouring bronze and is to date the only piece I have cast using this method. 

The piece is a celebration of the ways in which the experience of beauty encompasses flaws and unexpected consequences.

Bronze, Teak Wood

9 x 5 x 4 inches

2015

1/1

In the collection of Mrs. Donna Hess 

This is the first casting of Beyond This, a figure I modeled from imagination in 2014 and cast in 2015. It addresses our restlessness as human beings- our relentless drive toward the future, often at the expense of the present...our need to know. 

This wall-hanging, plaster on walnut wood version is one of a kind. It was shown in 2015 at my solo show Within Silence, and can be seen in the catalog.

Plaster on Walnut Wood

24 x 8 x 8 inches 

2015

1/1 

Contact  the artist for more information

Cassandra was the first figure and keystone of the three figure composition, The Lingering Shadows. The composition addresses the dynamic of social exclusion and isolation. This casting of the single figure alludes to the Cassandra of Greek mythology who was burdened with truths that no one would believe; and so she was isolated from those around her. 

Bronze on Belgian Marble

15 x 10 x 10 inches 

2012

1/1

Contact John Pence Gallery 

One interesting aspect of the casting process is the ability to experiment with the original image and present it in various formats. Seeing a form in a new format can change the narrative, or simply create a different focus.

Claudia is a one-of-a kind, wall hanging version of Claudia Regina Del Fiume. It's cast in plaster and stained with terracotta clay. The piece is mounted on a walnut wood backdrop. The backdrop creates a striking contrast and accentuates the dramatic depth of Claudia's features. 

Plaster on Walnut Wood

2014

26 x 10 x 10 inches 

1/1

Contact the Haynes Galleries for more information. 

Searching for the Present is a reaction to the barrage of information and sensory input that we experience on a daily basis. I was feeling at that time in my life a desire for introspection.

The figure is 36 inches tall in bronze on a Belgian marble base. It was modeled in clay in my studio while living in Florence. The first 2 bronzes were cast in Fiesole, at Artu bronze casting studio and are in private collections in Sweden and the United States. The third casting, from Artworks Foundry in Berkeley, CA, can be seen at Haynes Galleries in Nashville TN. The imagery of the piece has surfaced in Fragment 02 and Solace. 

Bronze on Belgian Marble

36 x 16 x 16

2011 (First Casting) 

3/8

Contact the Haynes Galleries for information

In the collections of Dr. Zjelko Radic and Dr. Claes Wijkstrom 

Fragment 04 is a miniature wall hanging portrait, constructed from imagination. She's cast in plaster and mounted on a walnut wood plaque with natural finish. The surface is treated with terracotta clay slip and wax to add a subtle tone to the white plaster. The piece has been published in Shar-e-ketab magazine and was sold at a benefit for the Portrait Society of America. 

Plaster on Walnut Wood

9 x 6 inches 

2015

1/1

In a private collection

Fragment 01 is a unique wall-hanging composition in plaster and Ziricote wood. It's a vignette taken from In a Still Field, focusing on the grace and spiraling motion of the right arm of the figure. 

My fascination with sculpture lies in the way its form moves through space. The movements in this arm (as well as the figure it relates to) were informed by multiple studies of trees, focusing on the movement of the limbs that often dance back and forth in unexpected ways. 

Plaster, Ziricote Wood

20 x 7 x 5 inches 

2014 

1/1 

In the collection of Ms Lindsey Kustuscheand Mr. Nate Ross

A commissioned portrait of Dr. Lars Newsome, this life-size bust was modeled and cast in San Francisco. The bronze was poured in 2014 at the Artworks Foundry in Berkeley, CA. It's a one-of-a-kind casting.

Bronze on Black Granite

22 x 12 x 12 inches

2014

1/1

In the collection of Dr. Lars and Mrs. Amanda Hibbs Newsome

What Was is a life-size self-portrait, modeled in 2007 as an independent project while studying at the Florence Academy of Art. Though it is a portrait, a great deal of emphasis is placed on the gesture of the head, neck and shoulders. The narrative of looking backward, over the shoulder represents an introspective time period during which I found myself reviewing and rethinking past events in my life.

 It was cast in bronze in 2009 and shown at the Florence Academy of Art's Alumni Exhibition at the Corsini Stables, where it was awarded Best in Show. 

Bronze on Belgian Marble Base

(Alternately, cast in Plaster on Wooden Base)

Life-size

2/3 , 2 Artists' Proofs in plaster 

Awards and Honors:

Best in Show, 2009 FAA Alumni Exhibition 

Finalist, ARC International Salon 2010

In Private collections in California and South Carolina.

Contact the artist for information.

Diego Germàn Abad is a life-size portrait in bronze on a Belgian marble base, cast in 2012 at Artworks Foundry in Berkeley, though the original was modeled in my studio in Florence, Italy in 2010. I met Diego while casting at a local bronze studio where he worked. We became friends and he agreed to sit for this portrait just before he embarked on an adventure to travel the world with only his guitar and a few personal items in a backpack. I found in his personality a dramatic depth and sensitivity that was echoed in the physical forms of his features; and I did my best to describe him. I admired his sense of freedom and fascination. He spent time in London working at a bronze foundry there...and last I heard had started a catering business in Patagonia. 

Bronze, Belgian Marble 

19 x 10 x 8 inches 

2012

1/1

Awards and Honors: 

Awarded Certificate of Exceptional Merit, Portrait Society of America, 2010 

In the collection of Dr. Zeljko and Mrs. Tanya Radic