Clémence van Lunen. Sculptures 1995-2025 • Retrospective

 Keramis and the Gerhard Marcks Haus in Bremen (Germany) join forces to present the first retrospective exhibition of Belgian artist Clémence van Lunen.

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Born in Brussels in 1959, Clémence van Lunen began studying art as a teenager at the Academy of Fine Arts in Watermael-Boitsfort. From 1977 to 1980, she studied at the Le 75 School of Arts in Brussels, in the sculpture studio of Michel Smolders. Inspired by his approach, she began working with ceramics. From 1980 to 1983, she continued her training at the National School of Fine Arts in Paris, where she studied under sculptors Jean Cardot (1930–2020) and Etienne Martin (1913–1995).

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During the 1980s, her work focused primarily on wood sculpture, though she explored other materials as well. Around the early 2000s, ceramics gradually became her main medium, particularly after a number of residencies in China. With a monumental porcelain flower, she won the Grand Prix at the Vallauris International Biennial in 2008.

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Clémence van Lunen works in thematic series (Chinese Landscape, Doodle, Cascades, Dragons, Wicked Flowers, Tang Family and Curtains), and has continuously renewed her practice over the years, developing a sculptural body of work that is rich, coherent, and multilayered.

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Her approach, which French curator F. Bodet describes as an “aesthetic of vitality” rooted in materiality, has had a considerable impact on the field of ceramic sculpture since the 2000s. Van Lunen sees her creative process as a joyful struggle, working in formats that match the scale of her own body. With humour and boldness, she shapes clay for its plastic qualities and brings her forms to life through a dynamic use of colour.

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The exhibition, which brings together nearly 80 sculptures for the first time, is accompanied by a comprehensive catalogue published by Skira.