Solène Lèbre is one of those ceramic and pottery sculptors who love to share their passion and find fulfilment in passing it on.
Crafts have always been part of her daily life. But it was during her time living in Spain, where she spent almost four years, that she made working with clay her primary art form. She trained through courses that now enable her to approach her creations from both an aesthetic and a technical perspective. She will open her studio in 2016 in Sainte-Foy-de-Peyrolières. Indeed, it is with her ‘fingertips’ that she gives shape to her ideas, for it is through contact with the materials that her creations take form. Solène refuses to adopt a ‘style’, even though patina* – used to create the illusion of metal through clay – remains a predominant feature of her methods.
Her versatile works, brimming with poetry in colour and texture, feature characters, anatomical figures, floral motifs or animals, which she sometimes combines with supports – often made of steel – that she has sourced from second-hand shops. She also applies her skills to the field of ceramics in the creation of jewellery, characterised by great finesse.
Solène recently exhibited in Muret (31) at the ‘Ruée vers l’art’ gallery, where her works were well received by the public, giving her the impetus to continue along this path. She opens the doors of her studio in Sainte-Foy-de-Peyrolières to the public, offering year-round classes and courses (ranging from 1 to 10 sessions) for adults and children, where everyone is free to create as they wish and can discover the many techniques taught by Solène. Her teaching is also characterised by patience, as she offers to keep the creations so they can dry, before being fired in the kiln, glazed and taken home. In this way, she enables everyone to develop their artistic flair through personal creations in a friendly atmosphere.
She also shares her expertise through workshops in schools or specialist centres such as the one in Rieumes/Lahage. She enjoys the diversity of the people she teaches, as well as seeing the satisfaction everyone feels when bringing their imagination to life.
To showcase her work and enable the public to purchase her creations, Solène has launched a website. Please feel free to visit it and contact her if you would also like to take part in her workshops.
Patina *: The transformation of the surface of an object or sculpture, occurring over time or as a result of certain surface treatments.