A Playful Population of Ceramic Specimens Inhabit the Imaginary Planet of Monsieur Cailloux



Craft

#ceramic #Monsieur Cailloux

The story goes that the lifeforms discovered by Monsieur Cailloux developed a third leg in order to gallop 200 miles per minute across the imaginary planet known as MRCX. Sensitive and spirited, the specimens are part of the Paris-based artist’s ever-expanding “tribe of pebbles,” a fictional population of blobby ceramic characters apparently capable of breaking the sound barrier.

Monsieur Cailloux began sculpting the tiny creatures in 2020 when he dreamed up a space exploration and an entire universe inhabited by the tribe—find maps of the planet and an animation detailing their evolution on Instagram— in order to explore new avenues in his ceramics practice. Now numbering in the hundreds, the rock-like figures are diverse in color, glaze, and body shape, although most feature small eyes and of course, a signature third limb for aforementioned galloping.

In creating the MRCX world, the artist shares that he strives for imperfections and allows each character to evolve naturally. He says:

I try to make visible the humanity that is hidden in us by pressing on the irregularities and flaws of a handmade work. Mistakes are then, for me, a source of happiness. For example, when (a piece) does not react as I had planned, I try to change my view of the sculpture in front of me to add or subtract an element that will make it beautiful. I end up with a result that is completely different from my initial idea, and it is in these moments that I experience my greatest creative joys.

If you’re in Paris, you can meet Monsieur Cailloux’s specimens next month in a show that opens on October 6 at Club Sensible.

#ceramic #Monsieur Cailloux

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