Essence in Stone: A Tribute to Hypatia by Bel Mur

In her latest sculptural series, Barcelona-based artist Bel Mur pays tribute to one of history’s most remarkable women: Hypatia of Alexandria. A philosopher, mathematician, astronomer, and pioneer of thought in the 4th and 5th centuries, Hypatia embodied the pursuit of knowledge, tolerance, and intellectual freedom—values that echo resoundingly in Mur’s work.

Each of the seven marble sculptures in this series represents a different facet of Hypatia’s intellectual legacy: Astronomer, Inventor, Mathematician, Mechanical Engineer, Philosopher, Physicist, and Scientist. Far from literal portrayals, these abstract forms suggest movement and energy, sculpted with precision yet intentionally raw—reflecting not only the nature of marble itself but also the complexity of Hypatia’s mind and the turbulent world she navigated.

“Defend your right to think, because even thinking wrongly is better than not thinking at all.” — Hypatia

Bel Mur has chosen stone for this tribute because of its symbolic weight—purity, wisdom, strength, balance, simplicity, and eternity. The choice of marble is especially poignant: timeless and unyielding, it recalls the classical world in which Hypatia lived, while its hand-carved imperfections point toward the fragility of legacy and the violence that ultimately took her life.

“The shaping is meant to accompany the material—secure, firm, minimalist, and with movement,” says Bel Mur. “I seek essence and balance in each piece.”

Art as Reclamation

Bel Mur is a multidisciplinary visual artist whose practice spans sculpture, painting, mural work, photography, and 3D modeling. A graduate of ESDA Llotja and Escola Massana, Mur's career has evolved in tandem with her personal journey of liberation from imposed roles of femininity—servility, obedience, nurturing—and into unapologetic self-expression.

Her artistic voice is rooted in critique of the corporatist and heteropatriarchal society that shapes and confines women’s identities. Each work, including this tribute to Hypatia, emerges from a deep need to confront, reclaim, and redefine what it means to be a woman, a thinker, and a creator.

Mur’s sculptures are not simply representations—they are acts of resistance. Each form channels Hypatia not only as a historical figure but as a symbol of female intellectual agency, often erased or overshadowed. The figures rise from the stone as though wrestling with it, asserting presence and movement despite the rigidity of the medium.

Form and Concept Intertwined

These works are not statues in the traditional sense—they do not beautify or flatter. Instead, they embody tension. The minimalism is purposeful, asking the viewer to read between forms, much like Hypatia’s fragmented historical legacy invites speculation and awe.

By engaging with sustainable materials and honoring an ancient figure through modern abstraction, Bel Mur aligns with her broader practice of environmentally and socially conscious creation.

A Living Legacy

In honoring Hypatia, Bel Mur crafts more than a memorial—she sculpts a continuum of female thought, a lineage of inquiry and expression. This series doesn’t just remind us of Hypatia’s brilliance; it reclaims her for the present, celebrating the strength of a woman’s mind and affirming its place at the heart of intellectual life.

Explore Bel Mur's collection in shop

Explore Bel Mur's collection in shop