Jake Mikoda

About Jake Mikoda

Raised in Poland, Jake Mikoda moved to Perth, Australia together with his parents before settling in Hobart, Tasmania. The Tasmanian wilderness, its seclusion from mainland Australia and its natural wonders provided the backdrop for Jake’s artistic endeavors. It was Jake’s first passion as a taxidermist, an art learnt in Poland as a student of his uncle who was a Master in the profession, that in-turn provided him the opportunity to do commissioned works for public art and various private collections that then led Jake into his first foray as a sculptor. In hindsight it was always going to be a natural progression from taxidermist to sculptor, the knowledge from his first passion providing him with the anatomic detail required to give his sculptures their life, a life imbued with anatomic soundness and delicate but realistic life giving features. The subtlety of Jake’s pieces combined with their geometric precision are what make his sculptures so commanding and they will at all times hold their own place in any collection. Native Australian wildlife is where Jake has found his niche and the elegant symmetry offered by animals such as the Australian Platypus, Tasmanian Devil and the Australian Kookaburra have themselves brought great depth and beauty to Jake’s sculptures. Jake’s love of the Australian bush and its creatures is captured in the molten metals he uses for his sculptures and once captured his artistic flare births the life required to accentuate each pieces realism. Jake says “Sculpturing is not an art for those wanting immediate gratification, instead as a sculptor I build each one of my pieces, layer by layer, starting with an understanding of the skeletal structure, building on that and developing the initial mold which is still devoid of the detail that will give life and personality to my piece, that comes later, many hours and more often days later, such is the bane of a sculptor as he toils to release the beast from its cast”.

Care: Although bronze sculptures may last for centuries, their delicate and exquisite patinas may be disturbed by contaminants from atmosphere. To slow this degenerating process, regular cleaning and rewaxing is necessary. It will slow the oxidation and will enable the collector of the bronzes to enjoy their surfaces for many year to come. However, it is the best not to attempt to wax a polished (like a mirror) bronze surface, as this will dull the high reflective finish. Jake’s bronzes and patina have been sealed with synthetic lacquer. The reason is that your patina will be protected, keeping colors brighter longer. We recommend yearly maintenance to ensure artwork enjoyment for a long period of time. Great book to recommend for the collectors is “The care of Bronze Sculpture” by Patrick V.Kipper.