What we choose to reveal — and what we keep protected — lies at the heart of Candide Renard’s ceramic practice.
Her work explores the tension between exterior and interior, protection and vulnerability. Forms can appear guarded at first: rough, mineral surfaces and pointed elements establish a physical boundary. Yet this outer shell gives way to a markedly different inner world, where glaze, colour and organic patterns introduce depth and intimacy.
Renard works with grogged white stoneware, combining wheel-throwing and hand-modelling. She deliberately leaves exterior surfaces raw and highly textured, preserving both the mineral character of the clay and the marks of the hand. Interiors are glazed through layered recipes developed in her studio, creating a visual and tactile contrast between enclosure and revelation.
Through these opposing surfaces, the ceramic object becomes more than a vessel. It takes on an emotional and almost bodily dimension, reflecting on the boundaries we construct around ourselves and the gradual process through which closeness becomes possible.
Selected exhibitions with SM Bureau
Silent Structures, Paris, 2026
Available works upon request.
