"Modern man lives only on the surface of himself, in an existence deprived of deep meaning. He is anxious, losing his bearings and his values. He lives in fear, fear that the other will discover his weaknesses and inadequacies. He erases what society would reproach him for: his sensitivity and his emotions. He armours himself and hardens in contact with others so as, he thinks, to appear stronger. His heart slowly fossilises, then his body melts into a gangue of stone. In this series, Statue, I chose self-portrait to place myself as close as possible to my emotions, to describe a solitary being who splits into two parts, one that society has made cold and insensitive, the other that still fights and resists to keep its humanity and its warmth. A duality, half statue, half human." Emmanuelle Bousquet