Pascale Girardin: Figura series, 2020-2023
Figura series, 2020
Figura Collection, 2023
In 2020, I produced a series of large-scale sculptures using the techniques of pinching and coiling. Coiling is a process that’s conducive to reflection: while my hands work rhythmically, my mind can wander. Moving the large sections of the sculptures in the studio required me to carry them in an open-armed embrace, evoking the feeling of hugging a comforting adult figure from my childhood. This physical experience led me to view the sculptures as a metaphor of the human need for attachment and belonging, giving rise to the Figura series.
This research gained particular significance for me, conceptually, formally and on a personal level due to the numerous relocations I experienced during my childhood, prompting complex questions about identity and belonging. The resulting state of beingness, which I describe as migratory—as a result of constant adaptation—reflects both my relationship with clay and my contemplation of humanity.
Closely linked to the concepts of rootedness and cultural attachment, belonging plays a crucial role in building self-esteem and individual identity. Increased exchanges and population shifts have brought these themes to the forefront deepening my reflection on the many ways we navigate our ever-changing social ecosystems and prompting me to investigate how these unifying principles are guided by the idea of inclusion.
Through creativity, curiosity, openness to the world, and adaptability, the journey towards understanding ourselves and others becomes possible.
I developed this series of sculptures in the hope of initiating a collective dialogue on inclusion within diversity. As an installation, the various forms and profiles reinforce the notion of a changing way of seeing, allowing each viewer to trace their own narrative.
Captions
- Figura series, 2020, Vitreous slip on stoneware. Photos by Stephany Hildebrand
- Figura II collection, 2023, Vitreous slip on stoneware. Photos by Stephany Hildebrand
