An exploration of body sculpture
Skin of the Soul
On a life journey like mine, I see many lives unfolding, taking shape, intertwining, and blending together. Yet there is a central, profound, and delicate thread that runs deep through them all: the quest for Beauty.
I was first drawn to the beauty of the body—that of the newborn in the perfection of Creation. Then, more generally, the beauty of bodies, with that more intimate beauty found in their movements and curves, despite age, illness, or hardship. This life that flows through and shapes bodies has always moved me.
From a very young age, I have been imbued with this art, without ever truly realizing it. Yet I was nonetheless steeped in what my gaze could capture from the works left behind by great artists. Later, my journey through my studies in psychotherapy, experienced through the process of art therapy, led me to put my hands and forms into the material. Thus, this experience with clay has left an indelible mark on me.
In this journey of discovery through sculpture, my deepest gratitude goes first and foremost to Christine Demière, who guided me through my first steps, my doubts, and my artistic journey… She shared her perspective and her generosity of spirit with me. My gratitude also goes to Diane Olivieri, who has sadly left us. She shared so much with me and guided me in art by passing on to me this treasure of the power of the gaze that pierces through matter, between shadow and light. I remain grateful to the “guardians” who supported me in this journey.
I have gone through this process so close to the body and its soul. It is a maturation that is lived, a transformation into a path of inner reflection.
It is this Beauty that I seek, and it is toward it that I journey. My hands reveal, sometimes without their knowing it, what is sought, thought, slumbering, or dreamed in the depths of the inner self.
So… Peau d’âme reveals itself (s’ex-peau-ose!)
“Art is nature in fast motion and God in slow motion.” (Malcolm de Chazal).
I love this earth, this clay… This clay is my “mud” that speaks and shapes the skin of my soul.
It is by sculpting it that I experience the spirit of the material and come to terms with my own limitations.
“The hand thinks and forms an alliance with Spirit and matter,” says the poet.
It is a journey through time, timeless and within time at the same time; it is also a “struggle” with this earth—digging into it, sometimes wounding it, kneading it, caressing it… dreaming it.
It is a demanding face-to-face encounter with myself.
Whether with joy or anguish, I then bring into the world this form or silhouette that I have long carried deep within me. It is its folds, its wrinkles, its edges, or its curves that set it in motion. They bring its soul to life. Such a birth takes time!
And so… Peau d’âme is revealed.
“Art is an obscure shepherd who walks barefoot.” (Victor Hugo)
Anita Lenoir
