LONDON SCULPTURE PRIZE

Recently, the plaster–polymer sculpture from EN ÕVUM was nominated for the London Sculpture Prize, an acknowledgment that, beyond its symbolic weight, holds a profound personal meaning.

The award ceremony has not yet taken place, and although the outcome remains uncertain, I find that the true significance lies not in winning, but in the very fact of being nominated.

To me, this nomination represents a quiet affirmation of the journey —the countless hours of experimentation, failure, patience, and reflection that have shaped both the sculpture and myself. It signals that the work, born from the dialogue between control and release, between the living and the inert, now speaks for itself in the broader world.

From a philosophical standpoint, this moment resonates deeply with the Stoic principles that have guided my practice. Epictetus reminds us that we should focus only on what is within our control —our actions, our discipline, our intentions— and meet whatever comes with equanimity. Whether I receive the prize or not is irrelevant to the integrity of the process.

The act of creation, the rigor of care, and the capacity to persist through uncertainty are already the reward. In that sense, the nomination is less a recognition of achievement than a reflection of coherence.

It affirms that a work created from sincerity, vulnerability, and respect toward the material can find its place naturally, without strategies or expectations.

I take this not as a culmination, but as a reminder to remain faithful to the same values that brought me here: patience, attention, and acceptance. As Marcus Aurelius wrote, “The obstacle becomes the way.” Every challenge —technical, emotional, or circumstantial— has been part of the sculpture’s evolution and mine.

Thus, this nomination is not the destination, but another step in a lifelong practice: learning to walk with the same calm whether the path leads to success or to silence.

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