Behind the Animal Sculptures on Rodeo Drive

As part of the second annual Rodeo Drive Celebrates Fashion event , French contemporary artist Richard Orlinski made his L.A. debut with colorful animal sculptures crafted from resin.

The pieces — including the Wild Kong, Standing Bear, Panda and Crocodile — will be available for animal-loving spectators to view along the famed palm tree-lined drive and in the Beverly Wilshire hotel through November.

"Animals are my main expression," the artist told Los Angeles at the event, which he attended after taking part in the Olympic Games' torch ceremony and designing Olympic hats and other iconic French relics. "When you're a kid, you love animals — we're all like big children!"

Orlinksi celebrated the exhibition at a reception on Wednesday, Aug. 7 at the Beverly Wilshire hotel's Rodeo Terrace with guests including Christian Estrosi, the Mayor of Nice; Scot Prescott, AutoVault CEO; Todd Johnson, Beverly Hills Chamber CEO; Sofiane Pamart, French Music Artist; model and influencer 'Roz'; Dimitri Demianenko, Deputy Counsel General; Christophe Ortega of Consulat Général de France à Los Angeles; Sevan Bolikian, exhibition producer and curator; Cynthia Hajjar, member of the Advisory Council of the Alliance Française of Los Angeles and president of UFE Los Angeles, Kathy Gohari; and City Council members Craig Corman and Mary Wells.

Prior to the reception was a ribbon-cutting ceremony in front of his Kong sculpture with Beverly Hills City officials, including Mayor Lester Friedman, Vice Mayor Sharona R. Nazarian PSYD and Rodeo Drive Committee President Kay Monica Rose.

"Beverly Hills is an amazing place, it's historic, so I'm very proud to be here," said Orlinksi, who has 200 people working for him in France and five studios, as well as projects involving Puma shoes, perfume, watches, boats, planes and buildings. "We plan to do other things here."

The Rodeo Drive Committee partnership with Richard Orlinski was made possible with the help of the City of Beverly Hills, Sevan Bolikian, Exhibition Producer and Curator, Cynthia Hajjar, member of the Advisory Council of the Alliance Française of Los Angeles and president of UFE Los Angeles, Richard Orlinski’s team, Kathy Gohari and the Beverly Wilshire, A Four Seasons Hotel.