Juliette Clovis

Porcelain maker

Exploring life and death in porcelain

Juliette lives and works near Bordeaux
She has studied art history, law, sculpture and graphic design
She collaborates with the bone china factory in Limoges La Seynie

French artist Juliette Clovis deals with three main subjects in her work, all of which have in common opposition and duality: human beings and nature; life and death; tradition and modernity. She currently works mainly with sculpture in her favorite medium: porcelain. For years, her work revolved around female identity and the representation of women, however since 2015, nature has been the dominating theme. She has also exchanged two dimensions for three, challenging herself with very difficult technique of working porcelain. This material allows her to marry her contemporary vision of art with traditional techniques and technology.

Interview

How do women play a central role in your works?: I transform them into hybrid beings, mixing history, myths and chimerical dreams. The female bodies are invaded by wildlife and floral elements, evoking a nature that is both soft and worrying. In my very last work, the human figure disappears, leaving in its place new organic bodies.
And what about the theme of nature?: I’m fascinated by the wild beauty of nature. I draw inspiration from it to explore the wild aspects of the human body. I question the balance of power between humans and nature. My work vies between announcing a birth and the onset of death caused by nature wanting to take back its rights.
You use symbols in your work, what do they represent?: I use classical symbols: snakes, butterflies, chrysanthemum, vanitas, eggs, etc. They represent both life and death and the cycle of life. I like mixing references and playing with influences and codes; trying to create a harmonious world made of contrasts and differences.
How do you define yourself?: I consider myself a contemporary visual artist, working with several mediums. Technical proficiency has always been central to my work. I think I belong to a new category of contemporary artists who borrow craftsmanship’s gestures and excellence, adding their artistic vision and carrying it into contemporary art.

Juliette Clovis is an expert artisan: she began her career in 2004