The sculpture Vrouwelijke Metamorfose was created in the 1990s by Bertha. Carved from luminous Carrara marble, the work embodies transformation, fluidity, and the essence of femininity. Its smooth, organic forms suggest both strength and vulnerability, hinting at a body in motion, caught between abstraction and the natural curves of a human figure.
The title, Vrouwelijke Metamorfose (“Female Metamorphosis”), reflects the artist’s fascination with the ever-changing nature of identity and the feminine. The sculpture does not offer a literal portrait but instead captures a moment of becoming — a physical translation of inner growth, resilience, and transformation.
Prints are made by Dimitri and for sale — Profits are for Bertha!
The Making of the Sculpture
The story of this sculpture begins in Bertha ’s atelier, a space filled with dust, chisels, and blocks of marble waiting to be awakened. In the early stages, the marble was rough and unyielding, resisting each strike of the hammer. Bertha worked with patience, following the veins of the stone and listening to its natural rhythm, allowing the form to slowly emerge.
Days stretched into weeks as she shaped the marble, moving from heavy mallet work to more delicate tools. The studio filled with the sound of stone being cut, the air coated in a fine white powder. With every curve she revealed, Bertha came closer to the essence she envisioned: a symbol of womanhood not tied to a single body, but to a universal process of change.
The final polishing was almost meditative. Hours of rubbing transformed the once-raw surface into a silky, glowing skin. When Vrouwelijke Metamorfose finally stood completed, it carried with it not only the weight of Carrara marble, but also the journey of its making — the gestures of the artist’s hand, the endurance of labor, and the quiet poetry of transformation made solid.
