Dear friends,
welcome to my inner landscape.
Sculptures, born from a desire to express the energy moving
through everything and everywhere,
from the cosmic ray to the pebble ricochet.
Dear friends,
welcome to my inner landscape.
Sculptures, born from a desire to express the energy moving
through everything and everywhere,
from the cosmic ray to the pebble ricochet.
FORMES VIVANTES
SCULPTURES POUR LA VIE
I am an artist, sculptor, and designer from Reunion Island, now based in Marseille, in the south of France. My primary medium is ceramic, and my work focuses on the emotionnal, aiming to make the public feel what I am experiencing. Moved by the shapes of the elements, I draw inspiration from the black cliffs of my native island and the dazzling whiteness of Marseille’s creeks where I now live.
I seek to capture the movement of life in abstract shapes, something that connects us both to each other and to the natural world universally. An emotion when watching a storm unfold, or when floating in a big wave just before it crashes. I strive for my work to appear alive, without resembling any figurative thing.
COLLECTION
You will find here all the pieces made to order, each piece is unique and handmade,
none can be reproduced
identically, each variation guaranteeing singularity
of each acquisition.
For any enquiry and special commissions, please get in touch:
leabigot.sculpture@gmail.com
DESSUS DESOUS I - H.80cm L.40cm l.40cm
burnished stoneware
DESSUS DESOUS II - H.60cm L.40cm l.40cm
stoneware
RIVAGE - H.40cm L.75cm l.40cm
stoneware, fused glass
VAGUE À L’ÂME - H.85cm L.90cm l.45cm
stoneware, fused glass
BAISERS VOLÉS - H.40cm L.60cm l.30cm
stoneware
SIGNE - H.140cm L.40cm l.30cm
stoneware, organically waxed & dyed fabric
MAGDA - H.160cm L.40cm l.40cm
stoneware, handmade paper
COQUILLE - H.30cm L.30cm l.30cm
stoneware
DOUBLE FEU - H.19cm L.11cm l.10cm
Casein glazed earthenware
LAC - H.75cm L.120cm l.120cm
White stoneware and brushed and burnt oak
IN BETWEEN ART AND DESIGN, FREE OF ANY CONVENTION,
EACH PIECE THAT I CREATE IS MADE TO LIVE WITH US,
IN THE MOST SINGULAR WAY.
EACH PIECE THAT I CREATE IS MADE TO LIVE WITH US,
IN THE MOST SINGULAR WAY.
SPECIAL PROJECTS
I love designing pieces for specific locations or to tell unique stories.
Here are the special projects where I have had the pleasure of pushing the boundaries of my usual work.
MAY 2022 / MARSEILLE, FRANCE
- TOTEM TAOUNETE , H.980cm L.40cm l.40cm, unglazed stoneware, metal, organically waxed and dyed fabric
Pictures by Max VerretIn may 2022 I was asked by Sessun to create a lighting piece for the center of their new office’s stairs.
I assembled a dedicated team, each member contributing their expertise to bring this monumental project to life. Every curve and volume was carefully drawn by my hand, forming the foundation of the entire piece. In just three months, my studio hand-sculpted all the stoneware modules. Azur crafted a unique fabric, organically dyed and waxed to emulate the ancient lampshades made from pigskin that I admired, yet found slightly barbaric.
I assembled a dedicated team, each member contributing their expertise to bring this monumental project to life. Every curve and volume was carefully drawn by my hand, forming the foundation of the entire piece. In just three months, my studio hand-sculpted all the stoneware modules. Azur crafted a unique fabric, organically dyed and waxed to emulate the ancient lampshades made from pigskin that I admired, yet found slightly barbaric.
Samuel Bertin assembled the fabric into the volumes according to my designs, stepping out of his usual line of work with precision and harmony in every aspect. Finally, La Confiserie engineered the entire system, integrating all components along the 9 meters staircase to create the final sculpture.
It was my first project leading a team and I really liked how this collaborative effort, grounded in my original drawings, showcased our collective skills and efficiency, resulting in this monumental piece.
It was my first project leading a team and I really liked how this collaborative effort, grounded in my original drawings, showcased our collective skills and efficiency, resulting in this monumental piece.
OCTOBER 2023 / LAGOS, NIGERIA
- CORPS, H.50cm L.600cm l.600cm,
red clay and braided palm leaves
Pictures by Olájídé Ayeni
In october 2023 I was chosen to participate in the Passages
Residency in Lagos, Nigeria, a two months cross-residency program of the Institut Français du Nigeria, in partnership with the French Embassy in Nigeria and the french gallery Versant Sud.
During this time I led a project promoting ancestral Nigerian know-how combined
with my personal practice. As a result, a 6 meter diameter bench
was created in clay and palm leaves. The sculptural furniture piece
then hosted the performance of the dancer Justine Chima and the
poet Ruth Mahogany on December 8th at the Alliance Française of
Lagos. The project’s aim was to create emotionnal bond between the
artist and the people from Lagos.
In this idea of bond, I conceived the piece in collaboration with Lagosian artists Linus Samson Zauso, Godwin Musa Maizonko, Justine Chima, and Ruth Mahogany. Thus, the CORPS project emerged as a collective work, both in creation and presentation.
The bench construction, undertaken by Linus Samson Zauso, Godwin Musa Maizonko, and myself, began with clay sculpting — a long and physically demanding process — reflecting my personal practice. This was complemented by the palm leaves weaving, a technique passed down to the two Nigerian artists from their grandparents, transforming the sculpture into a 6-meter circular bench. The entire fabrication process spanned 38 days.
The bench construction, undertaken by Linus Samson Zauso, Godwin Musa Maizonko, and myself, began with clay sculpting — a long and physically demanding process — reflecting my personal practice. This was complemented by the palm leaves weaving, a technique passed down to the two Nigerian artists from their grandparents, transforming the sculpture into a 6-meter circular bench. The entire fabrication process spanned 38 days.
While this installation was designed to question the idea of community, the strongest bonds were formed during its collective creation. By synchronizing our daily rhythm of repetitive, often physical gestures and moments of waiting for materials to dry, we, the artists, forged genuine friendships.
In Lagos, I reconnected with a subject dear to my heart: the powerful bond created by collective work that respects a natural rhythm.
In Lagos, I reconnected with a subject dear to my heart: the powerful bond created by collective work that respects a natural rhythm.
The installation is designed as a circular bench around which people gather to witness a visual and sound performance. This central object materializes the natural tendency to 'Faire Corps' in a circle, which is found in many cultures, and echoes a vivid childhood memory of mine as an artist from Réunion Island: the feeling of unity with spectators seated in a circle during a Maloya performance - traditional music.
Ultimately, the piece became a space for expression for dancer Justine Chima and composer and poet Ruth Mahogany, who added their movements and voices in a performance. During this time, the audience was invited to sit on the bench and feel a physical connection through collective movement.
Ultimately, the piece became a space for expression for dancer Justine Chima and composer and poet Ruth Mahogany, who added their movements and voices in a performance. During this time, the audience was invited to sit on the bench and feel a physical connection through collective movement.
Justine Chima’s dance reinterpreted the idea of connecting with others beyond cultural barriers through expressive movement, showcasing unity and empathy. Concurrently, Ruth Mahogany recited a poem she wrote for the occasion, exploring the idea that we all feel at home within the intimacy of our own bodies. She suggested that this personal sense of sanctuary can be a starting point for meeting others on an equal footing, fostering mutual respect and understanding.
Together, their performances within the installation emphasized the potential for human connection and unity beyond cultural divides.
Together, their performances within the installation emphasized the potential for human connection and unity beyond cultural divides.
AUGUST 2023 / ALPS, FRANCE
- TERRE PAILLE ARDOISE, gleaned clay, hay, rocks
In August 2023, with a group of eight women, we initiated our own artist-run residency “Terre Paille Ardoise” in the French Alps. Drawing inspiration from the traditional Moroccan technique I observed during my residency in the Rif mountains, we built an outdoor oven made of clay and straw. We harvested the clay from the wild and gathered large rocks from the surrounding fields. The construction of this oven took a week of hard work, bringing us closer together both physically, through the act of building and cooking, and emotionally, fostering real friendships.
As fatigue set in and injuries occurred, we supported and helped each other, strengthening our bonds and ensuring the project’s completion. Through this process, we experienced a profound sense of independence and autonomy as a group.
Once the oven was completed, we took great pleasure in inviting our friends to join us in celebrating around the hearth we had created. This project not only brought us together but also allowed us to share our sense of achievement and joy with our broader community.
Once the oven was completed, we took great pleasure in inviting our friends to join us in celebrating around the hearth we had created. This project not only brought us together but also allowed us to share our sense of achievement and joy with our broader community.
REACH OUT TO ME
For special commissions, collaboration or for any questions you might have, please write to me at: leabigot.sculpture@gmail.com
To know more about me and be aware of upcoming exhibitions, please find me at:@leabigot.sculpture
SELECTED EXHIBITIONS
SEPTEMBER 2024
Collection OO1Studio Momo, Ellia Gallery PDW, Paris
FEBRUARY 2024
TOGETHER DESIGNArt Gallery,
Alliance française de Lagos
curated by Lagos X Paris
Lagos, Nigeria
NOVEMBER 2023
LA PRATIQUE SAUVAGEGalerie Lalune
curated by Madeleine Froment
Paris & Dijon
JULY 2023
UNE MAISON À ST TROPEZIsabelle Castanier
curated by Leslie Kabla
Saint Tropez
JUNE 2023
CAGNARDArchik
Paris
JANUARY 2023
BRAFACurated by Angelique Segaert
Bruxelles
MARCH 2022
"Bonjour Tendresse"Group Show
Maestria, Paris
AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2021
"Autodidaxie"with Violaine Barrois,
Buropolis, Marseille
MAY 2021
"EXHIBITION 10"Group Show
Kiosk, Cité Radieuse de Marseille
SEPTEMBER 2020
"1000 Vases"Group Show
Galerie Joseph, Paris
RESIDENCIES
OCTOBER/DECEMBER 2023
2 MONTHS RESIDENCY
Lagos, Nigeria
Laureate of “Passages 2023” cross-residency program of the Institut français du Nigeria, in partnership with Versant Sud and the Embassy of France in Nigeria.SEPTEMBRE 2022
2 WEEKS RESIDENCY
Montrieux le hammeau, France
With Combo MagazineMAY 2022
2 WEEKS RESIDENCY
Rif Mountains, Morocco
With Memori GallerySEPTEMBER 2021
1 MONTH RESIDENCY
Bodrum, Turkey
With Istanbul’74 GalleryJUNE 2021
1 MONTH RESIDENCY
Marseille, France
Invited by Buropolis Duo residency
with Violaine Barrois
SELECTED PRESS
JULY 2023
ARTS & DECORATIONIn “Léa Bigot, grès organique”
by Isabelle Ros
APRIL 2023
ELLE DECORATIONIn “Teint Éclatant”
by Lisa Sicignano
JANUARY 2023
VIVRE MARSEILLEIn “D’émotions en création”
by Nadège Laurens
JULY AUGUST 2022
MONOCLEIn “Follow your Art: Marseille” by Julia Webster Ayuso
JUNE JULY 2022
VOGUE FRANCEIn “Nouvelles vagues sur la Riviera”
by Jade Simon