Down to the finest detail
- Liliane received a French craftsmanship award in 1986 and 2000
- Technically diligent, she is also whimsical and imaginative
- Her inspiration stems from masters such as Bosch, Bruegel and Cranach
Self-taught, perfectionist and almost obsessive in her attention to detail, Liliane Guiomar channels many crafts into one. She sculpts, paints, draws, travels to let herself be inspired. She has a great respect for the rules that govern her art. Attention to detail is her specialty, such as creating the folds of clothes, the veins of the skin on the back of hands or the shape of nails on small statuettes. It takes an enormous amount of time to complete every piece of work. "Nowadays people are in a hurry. For me there is a huge difference in the outcome based on the time I spend completing a project." Is this art at risk of extinction? Liliane believes it is more about passion and dedication. Her objects are entirely handmade, and she follows the times and stages of firing that have been handed down over the centuries.
Interview
- How did you start being a ceramic sculptor and painter?
- I started by making and displaying clay figurines. I did this for many years until I was ready to dedicate myself to painting, a passion that I have since childhood. I love statues of horses and legends. I continue to devote myself to all of these.
- Do you master any specific techniques?
- I make very small characters or animals entirely by hand, with porcelain stoneware and I colour them with oxides. It takes between five and ten firings to develop the entire range of colours that I aim for, with temperatures from 1200°C to 800°C. This is also the case for pieces in raw black sandstone.
- Is your craft linked to the land where you work?
- In part, yes, when I create the Fadalins (little funny Provençal characters). But I also create subjects linked to surrealism, animals, animal sets which are not particularly tied to a region.
- What does well made mean to you?
- I am never really satisfied. I can only see the flaws at the end of a process and not during. Errors in painting are recoverable, but in sculpture absolutely not: once it is fired it is fired. This is why I am quite obsessive about my work.
Liliane Guiomar is an expert artisan: she began her career in 1976
Where
Liliane Guiomar
