Catherine Chavigny, contemporary sculptor

I discovered clay sculpture some twenty years ago, and the unique method of creation “sur le vide” developed by Monique Sidelsky, sculptor and founder of the workshop Le Cru et Le Cuit.

When I’m shaping clay, the thing I like most is watching new ideas being formed by my hands and seeing original ideas emerging. Now, it’s become a game. What was my initial intention and what became of it? I began to explore the figures of femininity, maternity andmomentum, which are still my three favorite themes today.

Over the years, I’ve learnt to avoid having overly precise ideas that can distract from what’s truly inside in favour of letting the unexpected emerge. I love the silent and patient moments of trial and error. The long moments where time seems to come to a stop, and it’s just me and the clay.

For me, embarking upon the act of sculpture is to dare to take the path of creation, intuition and exploration. It’s also about accepting the constraints of the material itself, its fragilities – and the fire. I then like to bring the pieces I create to life in a variety of ways, in bronze, resin and new materials.

I regularly run sculpture workshops to help people discover and share this creative process.

For me, sculpting means daring to take the path of creation, intuition and exploration. It also means integrating the constraints of the material,its fragility, the fire.Working with her over the years, passing on our passion to both children and adults has become essential to me. Beyond my own experience, I have observed how much this process has to offer – its richness and depth – and to what extent it could nourish and satisfy people. I am delighted to share my passion with you now as I take the leap to showcasing the fruits of several years of work.

I discovered clay sculpture 25 years ago, along with the unique method of creation “on the void” developed by Monique Sidelsky, sculptress and founder of the workshop Le Cru et Le Cuit. Working with this material and the infinite field of expression it offers quickly became my passion. I began to explore the concepts of femininity, maternity and momentum, which are still my three favourite themes.

In 2009, an inspiring encounter with Ateliers Stéphane Gérard led me to discover the world of new materials created for each piece through specific research.

Clay sculptures became translucent, metallic, colourful, slate, stone and opaline. Today,

clay remains my working material. . I like to bring the pieces I make to life in several

ways, using bronze, resin

and

new

materials. In addition, I run regular sculpture workshops to help people discover and share this creative process. I also use work with clay in a business context through workshops and training course to help managers innovate and develop their creativity.