Ceramicist Pascale Girardin recently presented her latest works at the International Contemporary Furniture Fair (ICFF) in New York City, and at the Révélations biennial in Paris.
Girardin is best known for her architectural installations which consist 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 such as the Four Seasons and Saks Fifth Avenue.
For this year’s events, the artist unveiled a new collection of large format ceramic sculptures entitled Figura II, the latest installment in her series of totemic figures. The pieces referred to the notion of the common human experience and to the universal principle of belonging.
The series holds significant meaning for Girardin after having experienced multiple relocations during her childhood. As a result, her views on identity inform the artist’s relationship with clay.
Dunes, a limited-edition lighting collection created in collaboration with Montréal artist and designer Maud Beauchamp, was also on display at the ICFF. The title refers to the formations found on the earth’s surface, whose shape and size are always shifting due to fluctuating patterns in the wind.
Girardin produces her sculptures using traditional coiling and slab-building techniques and intentionally leaves traces of the hand which recall sensory connection to the physical world. This haptic experience is rooted in the ancient Greek term haptein, meaning touch, and is central to her artistic approach.
Through the Figura series, she sought out to convey how our relationship to the material realm can lead to a deeper understanding of our rootedness in humanity as a whole.
“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,” said Girardin.
The sculptures were meant to be interpretive and invited viewers to draw on their personal frames of reference to engage in an open dialogue with the work.