Alexandra Engelfriet Translates Movement into Unfired Clay Sculptures

Dutch-born, France-based artist Alexandra Engelfriet has developed a new body of wall-based sculptures using unfired clay, wool, and non-toxic adhesives. Since 1990, she has worked with clay as an active collaborator, recording gestures and pressure. Her large-scale installations involve performative physical engagement, documented by filmmakers. Recent works eliminate energy-intensive firing, using a mixture of wool, clay slip, and biodegradable glue to create lightweight, skin-like forms that capture movement. The sculptures shift appearance with viewer position, inviting participatory perception. Engelfriet's practice emphasizes embodied experience and ecological consciousness, transforming clay into a conduit for sensation and presence.