Born in South Africa, Marco Olivier’s journey from humble beginnings to global acclaim is etched into every sculpture he creates. An artist of extraordinary depth and resilience, Olivier’s work is celebrated for its raw texture, emotional gravity and profound storytelling – each piece a testament to the human spirit. Growing up with four siblings in a single-parent home, Olivier’s early years were marked by moments of hardship. There were months when he and his siblings collected empty bottles to exchange for basics like bread and milk. Yet from this adversity emerged a powerful drive to repurpose, to reinvent, to rise. “No matter how high the mountain, we find ways to reinvent. The quiet lessons from early days can shape how we see the world and what we choose to make of it. It’s what we do next that matters.” – Marco Olivier His passion for creating was first sparked at Pretoria Boys High, where he began to explore design and form. Entirely self-taught, Olivier’s artistic path was anything but conventional. After leaving school, he joined the South African Airforce and qualified as an aircraft maintenance engineer - a discipline that honed his precision and technical mastery. Leaving the force in 1994, he pivoted toward entrepreneurship, founding a wrought iron furniture company that supplied to major business around the world, including Harrods and Walmart. In the following years, Olivier began to embrace professional bodybuilding, a pursuit that deepened his understanding of human anatomy. This intimate study of muscle, proportion and movement inspired his sculptural work, particularly his now-iconic depictions of the human form. By 2019, Olivier had established his own bronze foundry in Cape Town - a sanctuary for his creation and innovation. It was here that he developed his inaugural collection, Faces of Giving, a series of textured sculptures that capture the emotional landscapes etched into the human face. Each contour, each line speaks to a life lived, the triumphs, the trials and the quiet wisdom gained along the way. More recently, Olivier has explored the importance of nature in his art. Joining the Robben Island Clean Up Program, where he helped remove truckloads of ocean plastic from the island, ignited a fire within Olivier, leading to the creation of his series, The Fragments Collection. This innovative collection is composed entirely of sculptures made from recycled ocean plastic. Each face serves as a testament to both the resilience of nature and the transformative power of art. This commitment to sustainability and creativity caught the attention of the South African Plastic Recycling Association, which awarded Olivier for utilising recycled plastic to create stunning works of art. Olivier's growing reputation for poignant portraiture led to a landmark commission from The House of Mandela, where he was entrusted to sculpt Nelson Mandela’s original palm print and raised fist in bronze. He was subsequently appointed the official sculptor for the Reflections of Nelson Mandela project, a memorable moment for the artist whose sculptures are not merely objects - they are vessels of memory, resilience and reinvention.