Idan Zareski Biography & Career

Idan Zareski is a French-Israeli sculptor born in Haifa, Israel, in 1968. His life has been shaped by movement across Africa, Europe, the United States and Latin America, an international background that he identifies as a major source of his artistic language. He is self-taught and did not attend art school or anatomy classes. At the age of 38, he chose to devote himself fully to sculpture, developing an instinctive process guided by emotion rather than preparatory sketches or fixed plans.

Zareski is best known for the Bigfoot Family, a body of figurative sculptures defined by enlarged feet and by figures that appear relaxed, balanced or suspended in movement. The family includes recurring characters such as Bigfoot, Babyfoot, Ladyfoot, Coolfoot, La Nena and Le Siffleur. Produced in bronze and resin and ranging from intimate collector formats to monumental outdoor works, these sculptures use exaggerated anatomy as a symbolic device: the oversized feet refer to origins, rootedness and a shared connection to the Earth. The project is presented by the artist as a message of unity, cultural awareness, tolerance and diversity.

His style combines contemporary figurative sculpture with a pop-inflected visual immediacy. Smooth surfaces, simplified bodies, strong silhouettes and vivid colors make the works highly recognizable, while the poses convey calm, humor, tenderness and emotional accessibility. Zareski describes his process as spontaneous and experience-led, with raw emotion serving as a principal guide. His cosmopolitan upbringing, memories of different cultures and landscapes, and the idea of a common human identity are recurring inspirations. The work circulates internationally through galleries, private collections and public spaces, with editions available in multiple scales and materials.