Synopsis

 

Presented at Galerie Catherine Pennec from November 2024 to early January 2025 in Clermont-Ferrand, “Nature Will Never Die” by Isabelle Collett offered a sensitive exploration of the living world.

 

Through a body of work created using natural materials—plant-based pigments and handcrafted paper—the artist developed a practice deeply aligned with her subject. Drawing on careful observation of vegetal cycles, Isabelle Collett explored themes of rooting, transformation, and resilience.

The exhibition highlighted a nature that is both fragile and untameable, reminding us that despite human impact, life persists, regenerates, and evolves. Organic forms, at times approaching abstraction, encouraged viewers to slow their gaze and reconnect with a more intimate perception of the natural world.

 

With a strong desire to share her process, Isabelle Collett also presented, in small tubes, the pigments she produces herself from her dye garden, offering insight into the making of her inks. This educational approach was particularly appreciated by visitors.

 

She also created compositions using plants and seeds, displayed in the gallery windows during the holiday season, which were very well received. Her works made from seeds also drew significant attention.

 

More than a representation, “Nature Will Never Die” stood as a committed artistic proposal, inviting us to rethink our relationship with the living world and to acknowledge its enduring and vital force.

 

       

Synopsis

 

“Suivez mon regard”: A Journey into Light and Matter

 

Held at the Galerie Catherine Pennec in October 2024 in Clermont-Ferrand, the exhibition “Suivez mon regard” brought together several series by Stefano Bianchi, created between 2009 and 2024. Through these works, the artist revealed the consistency of his explorations, focused on light, form, and perception. His approach is built on a paradox: capturing objects “as they are” while transforming them through the photographic act, to uncover their deepest essence, their “hidden face.”

 

Stefano Bianchi continually plays between the immediate reading of the depicted object and the fleeting impression it evokes. This interplay creates a moment of suspension for the viewer, a silence in which their own memories and emotions can resonate. Each photograph thus becomes a space where two realities coexist, an experience that is both visual and spiritual.

 

The artist invites the public to “follow his gaze” and embark on a journey into a world that is both familiar and alien, where appearances deceive and objects seem to possess a life of their own. “Suivez mon regard” is more than just an exhibition: it is an invitation to rediscover the power of the image and the imagination, through the eyes of a visionary artist.

 

      

Synopsis

 

The Galerie Catherine Pennec hosted the exhibition “Tea or Coffee?” from September 5 to October 5, 2024, in Clermont-Ferrand unfeaturing artists Cynthia Pedrosa and Ivan De La Rionda. This exhibition was part of the Résonance program of the Lyon Contemporary Art Biennale, exploring the theme of welcome and hospitality.

 

Cynthia Pedrosa, a Franco-Portuguese artist, examines the uniqueness of each individual and questions their place in society through her work. By deconstructing everyday life scenes, she highlights the issues of power, support, friendship, and trust that shape human relationships. Her paintings encourage viewers to look at each character with kindness and depth.

 

Ivan De La Rionda, a Cuban artist based in Brittany, transcends the boundaries of figurative art to reveal a hidden truth behind appearances. His work, characterized by fluid gestures and the pursuit of the essential, transforms reality into an illusion of fullness within emptiness. He draws inspiration from Theodor W. Adorno’s idea: “Art is magic delivered from the lie of being true.”

 

Their artistic dialogue illuminates the diversity of human experiences and the richness of possible interpretations of art. Their distinct styles and temporalities come together in a pictorial space where creative tension and harmony intertwine. The exhibition invites viewers to appropriate the artworks, to feel like active participants in their own emotional response, within a reciprocal exchange of freedom and respect.

 

 

 

Synopsis

 

Presented at Galerie Catherine Pennec from July 25 to August 31, 2024 in Clermont-Ferrand, Présent.e.s brought together the works of Naïs Marcon and Jean Vincent, placing in dialogue two artistic sensibilities centered on the notion of presence and the present moment.

 

Through figurative painting focused on individuals and relationships, Naïs Marcon captures fragments of life—faces and gestures that reflect a generation. Her compositions rely on harmonized tones, sometimes created using natural pigments, establishing an atmosphere where the simplicity of a moment becomes a space for contemplation. The artist suspends time to reveal its fragility and significance, inviting a renewed attention to the present.

 

In resonance, Jean Vincent develops a sculptural practice rooted in earth and fire. His ceramics, shaped using the Raku technique, take on organic forms inspired by pebbles and rocks. The “Whispering” figures, with their blue tones, suggest quiet presences engaged in a subtle dialogue, their slightly inclined silhouettes appearing to respond to one another.

 

Placed in dialogue, the works create a sensitive connection between figure and volume, between painting and ceramics. Grounded in a shared attention to natural materials and human relationships, they form a space where the gaze moves freely, inviting each viewer to build a personal interpretation of the present moment.

 

 

Synopsis of the Exhibition « Traces »

Galerie Catherine Pennec, Clermont-Ferrand – May & June 2024

 

The Exhibition: A Dialogue Between Earth and Light

In May and June 2024, Galerie Catherine Pennec hosted « Traces », a dual exhibition featuring the complementary worlds of Jean Vincent, a ceramist, and Marie-Hélène Blanck, a painter. Two artistic approaches, two materials—clay and colour—but a shared quest: to capture the ephemeral, the marks of time, and the emotions they evoke.

 

Jean Vincent: The Imprint of Fire and Earth

From Social Work to Art

 

After a career in the social sector, Jean Vincent turned to art in 1984, joining the School of Fine Arts in Bourges. His encounter with Jacqueline Lerat and ceramics proved pivotal. Since then, he has tirelessly explored the possibilities of clay, using hollow modelling and smoke firing techniques. His signature sepia tones result from a 48-hour firing process with sawdust, Breton seaweed, soda, and salt.

Nature and Time as Inspiration

His coil-built sculptures evoke pebbles smoothed by water, the curves of mountains, and the textures of the earth. Each piece is a trace, a fragment of natural poetry frozen in clay. « Traces » is his exploration of erosion, an invitation to contemplate the passage of time through the marks left on matter.

A Practice Nourished by Music and Literature

Jean Vincent draws inspiration from music (Duo Peirani Parisien, René Aubry) and Rilke’s Letters to a Young Poet, which encourage him to stay true to his inner voice. His ceramics, both robust and delicate, are the result of a slow, meditative process where every gesture matters.

 

Marie-Hélène Blanck: The Layers of Memory

From Architecture to Painting

 

Trained as an architect and interior designer, Marie-Hélène Blanck has dedicated herself to painting since 2020. Her work, between abstraction and figuration, explores the interplay of light, colour, space, and line. She builds up thin, multiple layers—often monochrome—on cardboard, creating surfaces where the traces of past gestures are revealed.

A Process Between Chance and Control

Each artwork emerges from a dialogue between intuition and reflection. After each layer, a phase of observation guides her next steps: scraping, wiping, carving. « I work slowly, » she admits, « taking time to think, to do, to undo, to observe. » Her palettes, inspired by nature (greys, ochres, reds, blues), evoke fragility, the passage of time, and human connections.

Diverse Inspirations

Marie-Hélène Blanck is inspired by Paul Klee, Hans Hartung, and Fernando Pessoa’s The Book of Disquiet. Her often non-figurative works leave ample room for the viewer’s interpretation, inviting each person to project their own emotions and memories.

 

« Traces »: An Invitation to Contemplation

 

« Traces » is more than an exhibition: it is a sensory and poetic experience. Jean Vincent’s ceramics, marked by fire and earth, converse with Marie-Hélène Blanck’s layered canvases, where each stratum tells a story. Together, they offer a reflection on memory, the ephemeral, and the beauty of the marks left by time.

« A trace is not just what remains, but what moves us forward. »

— From a conversation between the two artists

 

« Traces » celebrated the encounter between two artists for whom art is, above all, a human and sensitive adventure.

 

 

Synopsis

 

The exhibition Insolitude, presented from March to May 2024 at Galerie Catherine Pennec, highlighted the singular universe of Philippe Hérard, a prolific artist whose work, developed over more than thirty-five years, revealed a poetic, whimsical, and deeply human aesthetic.

 

Through a selection of works on canvas and cardboard, the artist explored universal themes such as solitude, the desire for escape, and the search for balance between individual identity and collective belonging. His emblematic figures — the Buoy Man, the Paddle Man, and the Snorkel Man — embodied, with subtle humor, the fragilities and paradoxes of the human condition.

 

Shaped by an unconventional path — from his early discovery of drawing to his experience in advertising design, and his decisive return to artistic creation — Philippe Hérard built a body of work in constant evolution. His move into urban space in 2009, notably through anonymous collages in the streets of Paris, marked a turning point and established a direct dialogue with the public.

 

The exhibition also echoed the 2020 lockdown period, during which the artist created a daily series on cardboard, translating into images the questions and feelings of isolation of a suspended time. This body of work, later gathered in the book One Day, One Cardboard, resonated deeply with the theme of Insolitude.

 

By staging himself alongside familiar or incongruous elements — animals, rescue objects, and fragments of everyday life — Philippe Hérard offered an offbeat reading of the world, where absurdity became a language and painting a form of release. Each work stood as a timeless bubble, inviting the viewer into an intimate and introspective experience.

 

Synopsis

 

From January 25 to March 3, 2024, the Galerie Catherine Pennec hosted an original exhibition by artist Zhang Chi, titled “Peaks of Nature.” This exhibition took visitors on an artistic journey through rolling and mountainous landscapes, exploring the harmonious connection between art and nature.

 

“Peaks of Nature” celebrated the natural forms and contours that shape our world. Zhang Chi, both an artist and an architect, transported the audience into a realm where art and nature meet, through works that each tell a story and capture the essence of hills and mountains. The exhibition showcased a diverse selection of watercolors, oils, and other creations, using a variety of media such as paper, plexiglass, linen canvas, and silk.

 

The opening reception was held on Thursday, January 25, 2024, starting at 6:00 PM, providing an opportunity to meet the artist and experience his works up close. Born in 1984 in Xi’An, China, Zhang Chi has built a remarkable career at the intersection of art and architecture, exploring a multitude of techniques and media. His academic and professional journey, marked by international collaborations and solo exhibitions, has enriched his artistic practice, evident in the diversity and originality of his works.

 

“Peaks of Nature” was an invitation to appreciate Zhang Chi’s versatility and technical mastery, where each piece reflected a creative fusion of different disciplines.