August 08 to September 14, 2024
New York

Ateliers Courbet is pleased to announce a clay art exhibition unveiling the latest series by French artist Karen Swami, featuring three ceramic bas-reliefs created using the smoke-firing technique.

In this new body of work, presented as a refined clay art exhibition, Karen Swami captures the accidents born of direct contact with fire. These imperfections, highlighted by delicate traces of light and pure gold, embody the essence of kintsugi—a traditional technique for repairing broken pottery—here reinterpreted as an artistic gesture.

The pieces are coated with Japanese plant-based lacquer and pure gold. Their classical forms draw inspiration from ancient traditions, ranging from Nagada amphorae to Cretan and Etruscan vases, as well as antique Egyptian ceramic plates and Babylonian architecture.