Lila Klapman entered the world of sculpture with a passion for dance and years of experience massaging bodies. After getting a degree in English with a minor in Fine Art, she launched into a study of the human figure. As a staff member at Esalen Institute in Big Sur, she spent many years learning massage and various movement disciplines, and became a teacher. Her focus was on the subtleties of bone structure, posture, line, and movement. She says “I was fascinated with the spine in motion...its undulations, twists, and natural beauty”. Her hands became sensitive to the bones and muscles from many years of massage.The depth and range of her life experience can be felt in her work.

Lila has been sculpting figures in clay since 1992. The tactile sensation was very similar to massage, and all of her life experience funneled into sculpture. Although primarily self taught, she has worked with sculptors Fritz White, Martine Vaugel, Stanley Bleifeld, and Richard MacDonald.

Working with live models, she captures the spirit in motion, from the subtle movement of a figure in repose, to the dramatic exuberance of dance. These pieces combine the poise of ancient Greek sculpture with the emotional romance of Rodin and Claudel, yet they are very modern. Focusing on what she describes as “the essential line”. there is a tension in the blending of grace and flexibility with strength and passion that has a powerful effect on the viewer.

Honored by being in private art collections throughout the world, Lila has become increasingly recognized for her ability to convey movement in bronze that is not forced, but natural...something that only someone who has moved in that way themselves could know.