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.
OCTOBER 2023 / LAGOS, NIGERIA
- CORPS, H.50cm L.600cm l.600cm,
red clay and braided palm leaves
Pictures by Olájídé Ayeni
A MULTIDISCIPLINARY PROJECT UNITING SCULPTURE, MUSIC, DANCE, AND POETRY
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 meters 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.
HOW THE CREATIVE PROCESS FORGED BONDS THROUGH COLLABORATION
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 CIRCLE AS A TOOL FOR CONNECTION: EMBODYING UNITY THROUGH MOVEMENT AND PERFORMANCE
The installation was designed as a circular bench made of 10 clay modules and 5 palm leaves mats resulting in a sitting device of 6 meters diameter around which people gather to witness a performance.
This central object materializes the natural tendency as a group or community to 'Faire Corps' in a circle, 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.
This is how, the night of the 8th of December at the Alliance Française of Lagos, the piece became a space for expression for the dancer Justine Chima and the 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 linked by palm leaves ropes that Godwin, Linus and me had spent a week to produce by hand.
Justine Chima reinterpreted the idea of connecting with others beyond cultural barriers through expressive movement, interogating the complex feeling of fearing others and wanting to connect. To do this, he drew as much on his family roots with his personal experiences of the relationship between dance and human connection as on his personal background of research on house dance.
Meanwhile 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 beyond cultural divides. Please find the video of the performance right below.
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.
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.
