François Ruegg

Ceramicist

©Nelson Dos Reis

©Suzanne Rivier

©Nelson Dos Reis

Sculptures in touch with reality

François is an artist who communicates through porcelain and ceramics
Through his pieces he questions and challenges the concerns of the modern era
He has taught his art for many years in various institutions

Born in Brussels, François Ruegg is a Swiss visual artist who uses ceramics as his main medium of creation. After studying in Geneva and the Sun Valley for Arts in Idaho, USA, and training internationally with many professors from different cultures, he started as a teacher himself in 1984. François describes himself as an artist who primarily uses ceramics, and specifically fine porcelain. His work in porcelain involves making prototypes, plaster moulds, casting porcelain and modelling. Many of his artworks also showcase strong colours and different materials in intriguing ways, aiming for impact. This leads to playful and thoughtful pieces, from vegetables to veiled faces. François' art raises societal issues and his deep fascination with the human existence.

Interview

©Nelson Dos Reis

©Nelson Dos Reis

How would you present your art?: I mainly work with fine porcelain, but I also use various different materials depending on the work at hand and the result I am looking for. I would describe myself as an artist first, and as one that specifically uses ceramics as a medium to communicate.
What inspires your work?: I am inspired by today’s society, day-to-day life with its many contrasts and the various restraints that we must deal with. I enjoy the creation process as a whole, from the first steps of being inspired and imagining something, to the actual creation.
Is there something about your art that people do not suspect?: People often do not realise the time that is necessary to think of projects before actually creating them. It starts with making prototypes, developing concepts, which all takes time. The goal is to end up with a creation that shows no technical faults.
How would you evaluate the current situation for ceramic artists?: The path could be stalled by virtual reality, by losing the notion of materials and the importance of their choice. Seeing and enjoying works of art in their chosen space, in real life, is completely different to a digital copy of them.

François Ruegg is a master artisan: he began his career in 1976 and he started teaching in 1986