Valentine Schlegel (1925, Sète) was trained at the Beaux-Art in Montpellier before settling in Paris, where she dedicated herself to ceramics. Schlegel conceived her works as sculptures inspired by nature. Her ceramics, primitive but sophisticated at the same time, made Valentine Schlegel one of the most important ceramists of 1950s. Starting in 1960 she extended her passion for earthenware to the design and construction of plaster chimneys. In her spare time she has also experimented with the vernacular materials of her home town Sète, i.e., wood and leather.
This catalogue offers a unique insight into the life and work of this multifaceted French artist. It features a large iconography, archives, and texts by sculptor and Schlegel specialist Hélène Bertin. The book was published on the occasion of the exhibition ‘Cette femme pourrait dormir dans l’eau – Valentine Schlegel par Hélène Bertin’ at CAC Brétigny (Sept 30 – Dec 09, 2017).
Hélène Bertin, CAC Brétigny, 2017, 224 pages, 18,5 x 27,3 cm, softcover, English + French