Biography

Jim Hager has been making annual pilgrimages to Pietrasanta, Italy since 1992 where he took a sabbatical to learn marble carving at Studio SEM, and bronze casting at Fonderia d’Arte del Chiaro, seeking inspiration and solace among the art community. He divides his time between work in bronze and marble, building on a love for the human form. Recently, he has been focusing almost exclusively on carving figures in the statuario white marble found in the Apuani Alps above his village. “I strive to capture delicate emotion in the rough medium of marble, incorporating refined elements of life juxtaposed against harsh unfinished rock.”

Born and raised in California, he studied figurative sculpture at Fort Mason Art Center in San Francisco and anatomy at the University of California, Davis. After leaving corporate life in 2017, he now works exclusively on his art, dividing time between studios in Oakland and Pietrasanta.

He created a new studio “Tre Luci Studi d’Arte" in Pietrasanta with 5 other artists, which begin operations in March 2021. He has been represented by Christensen-Heller Gallery in Oakland, California and Aaron Gallery in Washington DC, and has completed commissions and works for clients in the USA, Italy, United Arab Emirates and Tunisia.

Chronology - Commissions/Activities

2023

- Chiave di Violino, staruario marble, 24cm x 45cm x 65cm, Ipswich, England

2022

- Exhibition Homeless Museo dei Bozzetti, Pietrasanta, Italy

- Newmans, calacatta marble 40cm x 15cm x 20cm, Bath, England

- Varners, calacatta marble 40cm x 15cm x 20cm, Orinda California

2021

- Reunion, nero marquina marble 48cm x 80cm, Port Townsend, WA

- Intrecciarte Gallery, Pietrasanta, Italy

2020

- Tre Luci Studi d’Arte, cofounder, Pietrasanta, Italy

2019

- Affection, statuario venato marble, 25cm x 35cm, Detroit, MI

- Winter Fire, Caspaiou Design and Interior, Dubai, UAE

- Recent Works Exhibition, La Polveriera, Pietrasanta, Italy

2010

- Jacapo Fanfani Memorial, 50cm x 40cm, statuario marble, Rome, Italy

2009

- Hanna and Becca, statuario marble 110cm x 45cm, Palos Verdes, CA

2005

- Jesse Sanderson-Thomas Memorial, 40cm x 30cm, Carrara marble, Albany, CA

1995-2005

- Aaron Gallery, Washington, DC

1994

- Christensen-Heller Gallery, Oakland, CA

1993

- Solo show Works from Pietrasanta Kaiser Corporate Headquarters, Oakland, CA

- Christensen-Heller Gallery, Oakland, CA

1992

- Studied marble carving Studio SEM, Pietrasanta, Italy

- Studied bronze casting Fonderia d’Art del Chiaro, Pietrasanta, Italy

1991

- Ruml, bronze, 55cm x 40cm, Cambria, CA

1990

- The Gift, bronze, 24cm x 45cm, Rome, Italy

1988-1990

- Group shows, Fort Mason Sculptures, various San Francisco Bay Area locations

1986-1988

- Studied figurative sculpture at Fort Mason Art Center, San Francisco

1976-1977

- Studied human anatomy, cadaver dissection and physiology FCC and U.C. Davis

Artist Statement

I want my art to catch eyes, create feelings, encourage reflection, be provocative.  Whether a commission that speaks to the heart of a client with their unique insight of the context or an installation that conveys an appreciation for a deeper meaning, I strive for art that touches nerves.

Before leaving corporate life to pursue art full time, I would pass by the growing number of homeless people in our community. People down on their luck? Homeless due to addiction, mental illness? Lost their home in the costly San Francisco Bay Area housing market? They drove my desire to create an art installation to humanize our street side neighbors. Together; portraits that dignify, video footage that enable individuals to tell stories in their own words and sculpture that prompts one to stop, think and ponder. The “House of Cards” is the centerpiece. A block of beautiful semitransparent white marble used in the most precious of sculptures, carved to signify the precarious situation of those dependent on discarded cardboard to pad their beds, and relay their situation to those passing by. Alongside are cardboard messages relaying both their requests and solutions to address this crisis.

Art for me is both a journey and an opportunity. I am open to any road I may encounter, pursuing a direction that at this point is unknown. I also want the end product to stimulate thought and dialog. My current project on homelessness is a first step on this new journey.