Exploring the Art World with a Passionate Artist

Christien Dutoit
SCULPTOR
Bio
Christien Dutoit first encountered ceramics during her studies at the St. Lucas institute in Ghent. It was love at first sight: you can create the most “impossible” shapes with clay. How her fingers could shape the soft, pliable clay, was at least a part of the pleasure she found in it and an inspiration on itself. It is “creation” in which the artist allows the clay to do its work: folding, draping, rolling stacking and cutting.
Christien is usually inspired by seeing what is happening with the people around her. This is presented by a certain pose or placing of the figures in her work. The elements that are used around them enhance the idea. The figures are highly stylized and have long, slender silhouettes and the face has a typical shape that originated from eliminating and accent parts of the shape.
Sometimes the figures are in boxes, walls or windings, to express the connection with our earthly restrictions. Christien’s figures seem to live in a world that is parallel to ours.
Christien allows for the baked clay to primarily stand out as a material in her work. The warmth of the natural colours of the clay support the subjects of her works. Sometimes, a touch of oxide or engobe will enhance the contrast and tone but no more.
Allow yourself to be dragged along by the stories each of Christien’s works have to tell you and how they are all symbols of our lives.