10 May 2023
Ceramicist Pascale Girardin will be presenting her latest works at the International Contemporary Furniture Fair (ICFF) in New York City, and at the Révélations biennial in Paris, in May and June respectively. Attendees will be able to meet the artist and view her unique blend of traditional craftsmanship and contemporary design sensibilities on display.
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Girardin is best known for her architectural installations consisting of hundreds, or even thousands, of individually crafted pieces that come together in larger-than-life compositions. Her work can be found around the world in luxury retail, restaurant, and hospitality spaces, for clients such as the Four Seasons, Nobu, the Peninsula, and Saks Fifth Avenue.
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For this year’s events, the artist unveils a new collection of large-format ceramic sculptures entitled Figura II, the latest instalment in her series of totemic figures. Perceived as a whole, through their size and contours, the pieces refer to the notion of our common human experience and, more specifically, to the universal principle of belonging. With the increase in exchanges and movements of populations, our sense of belonging can be understood as a fluid state, depending on the many social ecosystems in which we navigate and relate to others. Having experienced multiple relocations during her childhood, the series holds significant meaning for Girardin from a conceptual, formal, and personal perspective. Out of constant adaptation to her new surroundings, her views on identity inform the artist’s relationship with clay as much as the filter through which she contemplates humanity.
Dunes, a limited-edition lighting collection created in collaboration with Montreal artist and designer Maud Beauchamp will also be on display at the ICFF. The title refers to the organic formations found on the earth’s surface, whose shape and size are constantly shifting due to fluctuating wind patterns. The landscape created by Dunes is a testament to the ever-changing nature of our planet and serves as a reminder of our impermanence.
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Girardin produces her sculptures using traditional coiling and slab-building techniques, intentionally leaving traces of the hand which recall our sensory connection to the physical world. This haptic experience, rooted in the ancient Greek term hapten, meaning touch, is central to her artistic approach. Through the Figura series, she seeks to convey how our relationship to the material realm can lead to a deeper understanding of our rootedness in humanity as a whole. These sculptures are meant to be interpretive rather than didactic, inviting viewers to draw on their frames of reference to engage in an open and lively dialogue with the work.
“In my practice, I often allude to a story or an emotion through a minimalist approach. The outline of a familiar form in a sparse composition appeals to the imagination.” — Pascale Girardin
Find the artist and view her works at the ICFF booth 753, and at the Révélations biennial in the section “Le Québec, la Nation à l’honneur.” The format of these events allows visitors to meet the artist in person and discuss her pieces in detail.
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