Ceramics by Virginie Besengez

I thought we’d head to France today in search of a little creative inspiration, visiting the work of Virginie Besengez, a ceramic artist based in the idyllic setting that is Wambrechies, which can be found on the map just north of Lille. As an artist Virginie has been known to dabble in both porcelain and stoneware, with her clean and contemporary white vessels providing a nice contrast to those of a more rustic and primitive nature. This is perhaps best represented here in the circle of cups that can be seen in the fifth image below, which I personally think works great as a subtle visual juxtaposition.

Although I really enjoyed these it was the last image in this post that initially attracted me to Virginie’s portfolio. Those closest to us will know that we’ve recently been dabbling in a little pottery of our own over the last few weeks, and I’ve developed a new found respect for creating such flawless forms. This last trio really spoke to me not only for the difficultly it takes to create each, but the balance of character and function that Virginie has found within these. They’ve certainly got a quirky feel to them that I can’t entirely put my finger on, it’s not quite as obvious as someone like Eva Zeisel for example but I’m sure they would provide ample personality in the kitchen and around the home as sculptural pieces.

Another project of Virginie’s I really enjoyed was her cup town that I’m sure was an enormity of an undertaking. If you haven’t noticed this already it’s in the seventh photo, with the third image being a closer view of this series. The closer inspection of these is perhaps a good reference point to note the style of creating that Virginie uses, opting to shape her pieces to match her imagination opposed to exact measurements. She uses the simple rule that if the piece feels like it has the perfect balance then that’s the way it’s meant to be, which I thought was quite refreshing.The few things that do inform Virginie’s work include the architecture found in the north of France and the austere aesthetic of Flemish still-life. She enjoys the urban landscape found locally and is always striving to bring new ideas into her work that will set her apart from her peers. If you’d like to learn more about the artist and perhaps see some further imagery of her work I’d recommend a visit to her dedicated webpage, the link for this of course will be left just below. Enjoy!

www.virginiebesengez.fr

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