MONIQUE DEGLUAIRE CERAMIC SCULPTURE

"When I encountered clay during my studies at art school, I never imagined it would become such an important part of my life. It imposed itself on me immediately, without asking my opinion, and I was forced to realise that it was an extension of myself, because when I tried to forget it, nothing else made sense. And yet, it is difficult, recalcitrant, authoritarian; it is the one who decides, it never obeys me, it always has the last word, and if I manage to master it, fire comes into play, and then I am no longer responsible for anything. Fortunately, in the forty years we have lived together, we have tamed each other. But the thing is, each type of clay wants to speak in its own way, with a different style. This white sandstone that I have recently started using seems accommodating. We have invented a language. All these humans and animals that inhabit me are happy to speak through my fingers. Often surprised, sometimes delighted, they are mischievous owls, rhinos in love, triumphant elephants, lascivious frogs, generous women, thoughtful men. They have lived, they are determined and they hide their fragility.
These animals, which write my diary in clay, give me some distance. They are not afraid to show themselves. People recognise themselves, at least those who are not afraid to welcome these terracotta beings into their homes. From time to time, we feel we have grasped something, but it does not last. Working with clay is a lesson in humility. Every morning, you have to go back to the workbench and forget everything so that you can always be surprised. That's how it is, working with clay is never finished, it would take several lifetimes to master it. I don't know what I'm looking for in clay, immortality perhaps..." Monique Dégluaire