KARVING12

MINERAL AND FOSSIL SCULPTURES

Handcrafted sculpture badge – hand carving a block of stone, handmade in a French workshop
Handcrafted sculpture badge – hand carving a stone block, artwork made by hand in France

Mineral and fossil sculptures – Unique handcrafted pieces created in my workshop in Aveyron (France)

Handcrafted "Phi" skull made from fossilized ammonite from Normandy - Handcrafted mineral and fossil sculptures from Aveyron, France - Handcrafted skulls sold internationally

THE SCULPTOR'S CAREER AND ARTISTIC APPROACH

A former mason, stonemason, and sculptor specializing in ancient heritage, including historic monuments, I worked with stone for many years to restore and prolong a history that had already been written and inherited, and which had to be understood and respected.

Today, I create. I sculpt ancient minerals and fossils, guided by intuition, constraints, and the singularities of the material. My sculptures—skulls, animal figures, symbolic subjects—do not tell stories; they invite questions about how human existence is traversed and sustained.

Snake-shaped dagger carved from serpentine - handcrafted mineral sculpture by Karving12
Sculptor at work - Creation of a stone sink with two salamanders carved around the drain (artistic and functional purpose) - One-of-a-kind piece

HANDCRAFTED SCULPTURE WORKSHOP

The studio is my intimate refuge as a sculptor, my space for work and creation. The atmosphere there is surprisingly quiet; I find echoes of the caves and abysses I explored when I was younger.

The workshop nourishes the imagination, meditative states, and inspiration—conditions conducive to the creation of sculptures made from ancient minerals and fossils.

Accessto the store
Karving12 workshop: sculptor at work, hand-carving a skull from septaria stone, craftsmanship on a workbench with cutting tools, an authentic scene of creation in a workshop.
Sculpted serpentine skull - mineral sculpture Memento Mori by Karving12

MEMENTO MORI – SYMBOLIC AND CONTEMPORARY SCULPTURES

Memento mori is an ancient Latin phrase that serves as a stark reminder of the finitude of human existence, not as an obsession with death, but as a counterbalance to pride, a reminder to remain lucid.

First expressed through language in Roman antiquity, the memento mori found its most radical visual representation in the skull, which became prevalent in the late Middle Ages and in vanitas paintings.

My sculptures of skulls made from minerals and fossils are part of this historical continuity. They invite us to slow down, to consider what matters in the present moment, and to reorder our priorities.

Vanitas-style illustration depicting a fragmented mineral face with an intact skull.
Official Karving12 certificate of authenticity for mineral or fossil sculptures, signed by Karl Potier, stating the title of the work, its unique handcrafted nature, authentic natural material, dimensions, weight, geological origin, production in the Karving12 workshop, with the Karving12 logo, handwritten signature, and legal information, guaranteeing the authenticity of the mineral sculpture on display or offered for sale. French version
Official Karving12 certificate of authenticity for mineral or fossil sculptures, signed by Karl Potier, stating the title of the work, its unique handcrafted nature, authentic natural material, dimensions, weight, geological origin, production in the Karving12 workshop, with the Karving12 logo, handwritten signature, and legal information, guaranteeing the authenticity of the mineral sculpture on display or offered for sale. English version

CERTIFICATE OF AUTHENTICITY AND UNIQUE PIECES

This certificate attests exclusivelyto the authenticity of the artistic creation and the production of the sculpture. It does not constitute a guarantee regarding the geological origin of the material.

Please ask for it at the time of purchase.

Tourof the gallery