DETROIT – Giorgio Gikas’ blood is made of bronze.
Ok, not really, but really close.
He comes from a family who has made their living in the art casting business, both nationally and internationally, running Venus Bronze Works in Detroit.
Gikas has been creating and conserving bronze sculptures and monuments since the 1980s, and many include some of Detroit’s most famous works for public art.
"I love my job. Every morning I wake up, I can't wait to get to work. Very, very rewarding,” Gikas said. "I'm so appreciative for the city of Detroit to give me this opportunity to do this work. It's a great, great feeling. I love it, I mean I drive around Detroit, and point and say, ’Hey I did this sculpture, I did that sculpture.’”
Among the statutes Gikas has worked on: "The Spirit of Detroit," by Marshall Fredericks, "The Thinker," by Auguste Rodin and The Alger Memorial Fountain that was done by Henry Bacon and Daniel Chester French, the duo behind the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C.
"We don't have as much as other cities, but as far as quality, we are probably right up there with any city,” Gikas said. "You have to be able to understand the sculptor and his wishes. You have to be able to respect the object itself. It's time-consuming, it takes dedication."
Watch this Uniquely Detroit story for a look inside of Gikas's studio and at his impressive work:
Gikas is also leading a team to create a RoboCop statue in Detroit.
He shared the following pictures of its progress with me here: