César

César Baldaccini, known as César, was an influential French sculptor and a leading figure in the Nouveau Réalisme movement. His breakthrough came after witnessing a hydraulic compressor at a scrap metal yard, which inspired his 'Compression' sculptures, where he crushed colourful cars into striking forms. From the 1960s onwards, César worked with a variety of materials, including cars, paper, fabrics, and family heirlooms, transforming them into unique wearable art that reflected the stories and memories associated with these materials.