A bronze figure is braced inside an open steel frame, its limbs reaching outward in sharp, demanding diagonals, holding a pose that seems unsustainable. The work is Stubbornness, a three-metre sculpture by Armenian sculptor Gevorg Tadevosyan. Standing at 300 × 110 × 110 cm, the piece is currently held in a private collection, photographed in an open field where the horizon cuts behind its metallic geometry.
Tadevosyan has worked primarily in bronze for more than twenty years, investigating the human form through movement, emotional states, balance and tension. While many figurative sculptors treat the body as an anatomical vessel or an expressive subject, Tadevosyan approaches the figure as an architectural presence.
As Tadevosyan explains: “For me, Stubbornness is a particularly direct expression of the relationship between balance, tension and the human figure as a structural element in space. In this work, balance is not a state of rest; it is an active act of resistance. The entire figure is organised around a carefully controlled relationship between mass, direction, gravity and a precise point of support. The body appears to maintain a physically demanding position, creating the sense that the balance could be lost at any moment.”
That sense of imminent collapse gives the sculpture its specific energy. The bronze form does not rest easily upon its pedestal or base; it contends with gravity in real time.
“This is where the tension emerges. It is not simply an emotional tension expressed through gesture or expression; it is built into the physical structure of the sculpture itself. The body seems to resist gravity and to hold its position through persistence.” The title of the piece clarifies this physical encounter: “This physical struggle becomes a metaphor for stubbornness itself: remaining upright not because the position is easy, but because the figure refuses to give way.”
Gevorg Tadevosyan, Stubbornness, seen from a distance in the open field. Photo: BekArt Studio / Gurgen Janibekyan
The formal logic of Stubbornness relies on counterweights and deliberate structural risk. Rather than treating bronze as solid, inert bulk, Tadevosyan uses its tensile strength to extend lines into the surrounding air. The figure defines the volume around it rather than simply displacing space.
“In Stubbornness, the body functions almost architecturally. Its lines, angles, extensions and points of support work together to carry, counterbalance and tension one another. The figure therefore does not merely occupy space; it actively creates and defines the space around it.”
Even in absolute stillness, the sculpture creates a kinetic anticipation. “Although the sculpture is static, its structural tension suggests a movement that has either just happened or is about to happen.” The viewer waits for a fall or a recovery, caught in the temporal suspense between motion and suspension.
Gevorg Tadevosyan, Stubbornness, from a lower angle. Photo: BekArt Studio / Gurgen Janibekyan
This precariousness runs throughout his wider output. “A defining characteristic of my work is the use of dynamic, often precarious compositions in which the entire human form can appear to be anchored on a single point.” He adds: “Through this approach, balance becomes more than a physical challenge: it becomes a way of expressing vulnerability, determination, instability and the complex emotional states that shape human experience.”
Tadevosyan’s practice is oriented towards large-scale installations, sculpture parks, gardens, museums and architectural environments. Over the past two decades, his work has been presented across Europe, the UK, Canada and Australia. A short film documenting the completed sculpture Stubbornness is available on YouTube.
Because his work is frequently placed outdoors in sculpture parks and gardens – venues whose seasons typically run from March or April through October and November – his calendar follows the rhythms of seasonal open calls and long-term placement. He currently has no confirmed exhibition to announce for the immediate coming months, while decisions on submitted applications remain pending. In Stubbornness, balance is never settled, only fought for.
Images: Gevorg Tadevosyan, Stubbornness, bronze, 300 × 110 × 110 cm, private collection. Photographs: BekArt Studio / Gurgen Janibekyan, supplied by the artist.
