An ongoing science project
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This article was published 24/01/2024 (662 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
“There’s a science to it. Sculpting bronze is an ongoing science project,” said artist and professional sculptor Wayne Stranger.
In 2017, Wayne launched the only fine art bronze casting foundry in Manitoba, Stranger Bronzeworks, based in Peguis First Nation. Stranger, of Cree and Scottish descent, specializes in the lost wax-casting process for bronze sculptures. Following this process from inspiration to finished sculpture and installation takes many steps. They include first sculpting the model in clay, which may require wire or foam for support, forming a mold for the sculpture, creating a pattern of wax and then a ceramic mold, burning the wax out, and then finally pouring the bronze into the mold, which takes careful precision and more than one person considering you are working with molten metal heated to 2100 F. Once the bronze has hardened, the sculpture is assembled by welding the pieces together making sure the seams are invisible. Once assembled, Stranger sandblasts the sculpture for a uniform finish, applies the patina and then a sealant which preserves the colour and protects the sculpture from the weather.
Wayne originally started his career with stone carving but said: “I got tired of being scratched up.”
Photo by Helen Lepp Friesen
Bronze sculptor Wayne Stranger, pictured in his foundry.
While doing his bachelor of fine arts (honours) and bachelor of education degrees at the University of Manitoba, Wayne experimented with other media. When he observed a teaching assistant working with bronze to creating a five-foot-tall dragon, told his professor, “I want to do bronze.”
The professor told him to talk to the TA and that’s how Stranger began learning the basics of bronze sculpting.
“It’s an age-old process. It’s expensive, requires many tools, materials, and dedicated shop space,” he said.
Making a bronze sculpture can take anywhere from two months to a year to finish depending on the size and quantity. Some of Wayne’s commissioned works include a jingle dress dancer, a memorial centrepiece honouring missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls for Sagkeeng First Nation, Rising Buffalos at the U of M’s Migizi Agimik Building, and a life-size Chief Peguis for Peguis First Nation.
To see some of his work visit www.strangerbronzeworks.com or find him on Instagram: @waynestranger