Gestural intersections and expanded materiality

The young Antoinette d’Ansembourg (1994, Brussels) represented by Belgian Gallery, Brussels, declares I draw and make sculptures because I like to avoid words. Through the creation of things, from nature to objects, to the liquids that flow in living things, she invents forms that evoke the uniqueness of nature. Like miniature worlds, hyper-detailed, vibrant in color and whimsical in shape, the artist piques our curiosity towards new visual universes. Similarly, Nel Bonte's (1986, Roeselare), represented by Eva Steynen Gallery, Antwerp, hybrid creations invite us to reflect on the tension of forms, the vulnerability of gestures and the delicacy of the details. A keen observer of the surrounding reality, she detects the everyday objects to give them new life, decontextualizing the habitual by enlarging or reducing them. The artist redirects our perception to expand our capacity of observation and we become investigators of the surrounded reality. The organic becomes inorganic, the large becomes small, the real becomes symbolic, the artist invents a new aesthetic and visual vocabulary.

The constructive power of ceramics is still evident in the stories sculpted by Daria Krotova (1971, Russia) represented by Galerie Lazarew, Paris. As in painted still life, here the constructed objects become eternal and defy the temporality of the present. A complex reflection on mortality, the inexorable passage of time, and the memory that inflicts our past. The artist aims to provoke our perception to the utmost, even to the point of disgust at what we are observing. Art must transcend the concept of beauty and shock to provoke a strong reaction. The decontextualization of objects from their natural habitat is central in the work of Stephané Edith Conradie (1990, Namibia) represented by Ceysson & Bénétière, Luxembourg. Her creations are a tribute to the modest and ordinary objects that decorate the homes of Namibia and South Africa, where she lives today. What do these things symbolize for a community long subjugated by colonialism and whose identity was hidden and limited by foreign domination? What does it mean today to be able to rediscover this identity, and how do the population still deal with obstacles such as ethnic minorities and social discrimination?

The endless possibilities that ceramics can achieve are found in Bente Skjøttgaard's works (1961, Denmark), represented by Galerie Maria Lund, Paris. Natural forms that evoke the uniqueness of nature—trunks, branches, leaves, stems, and petals—become eternal objects that float in space as if they were timeless elements. The artist reminds us of the cyclical nature of life: everything flows according to a purpose. We humans do not yet have the power to control this life cycle; we can only remain passive observers of a destiny greater than ourselves. We can admire what nature offers us and learn to appreciate the environment in which we are placed, respecting our planet. The relationship between nature and human environment is the focus of the work by Cristiano Carotti (1981, Italy), represented by Contemporary Cluster, Rome. A fundamental turning point in his career was the encounter with ceramics, when he shifted his investigation towards nature, creating ceramic beehives, casts of real wild honeycombs. He conceives sculpture as an alchemical ritual towards the attainment of the sacred, attributing a magical aura to each of his creations. And finally, ceramics also returns in the research of Eddy Firmin (1971, Guadeloupe), represented by Art Mûr, Montreal, a Caribbean-born black artist who focuses his research on the importance of the body as a tool for social analysis. Interested in ideas and practice that are not common in the western tradition, he seeks to restore codes of Caribbean ancestral customs to modern visual media. At the heart of his research is the politics of knowledge sharing: it creates a space of profound tolerance and dialogue with others. His works lead us to reflect on the challenges we face and the effort required to accept others, regardless of their origins, backgrounds, and social identity.