New York-born David Grieco pursued art from an early age. Despite no formal training as a sculptor, Grieco has been recognized by the artistic community for his ability to defy convention and push boundaries with his work. By the age of 11, David was showing his work at venues like the 1983 New York State Art Exhibition. Since then, his sculpture has appeared in galleries dispersed throughout New York and Los Angeles. The artist has said that his goal in life is to sculpt the emotions that come with being human and to use bronze to capture the human spirit. Grieco divides his work into six phases (pertaining to the subject matter of each piece) including the emotions of man, the emotions of woman, the union of man and woman and the natural and eternal elements of life. Apart from seven-foot monuments, Grieco explores life’s complexities through an entirely different medium: he designs a rocker-chic line of belts under the name Justice Bodan.
Made of imported Italian leather, Justice Bodan belts feature buckles made of hand-poured, sculpted bronze and metal. Belts come with poetic names like Rain and Island, and the artist readily offers insight into his creative process. (On Grieco’s Web site, a belt called Window comes with the description: “I walked down the streets of Amsterdam looking in people’s windows, watching scenes from so many lives.”) “Every buckle is different and has its own story,” Grieco says. “Each is an original work of art, and… it’s wearable.” Every Justice Bodan belt ($240) is a limited-edition piece, numbered and signed by the artist, and discontinued the following season.
This Saturday, the Los Angeles-based sculptor and designer debuts a line of luxury leather handbags at Koros, the West Loop lifestyle boutique. Koros already sells Justice Bodan belts, and now it’ll be the only store in Chicago to carry his bags. Grieco’s handbags ($850) have not been seen anywhere else, so here’s your chance to meet the artist and scoop up a trend before the coasts get to it. (Jennifer Berg)
