Johan Creten's Ceramic and Bronze Works at Perrotin, Paris

Johan Creten, a Belgian artist born in 1963, presented his first solo exhibition at Galerie Emmanuel Perrotin in Paris from January 9 to March 13, 2010. Creten, a former resident of the Villa Medici in Rome (1996-1997) and the Manufacture nationale de Sèvres (2004-2008), works primarily in ceramic, glazed stoneware, and bronze, reviving ancient techniques such as wood firing and pastillage. The exhibition metaphorically explores Freud's concept of the 'dark continent' of femininity. Key works include 'I Am a Good Horse on a Soft Brick' (2004-2008), a hammered bronze sculpture inspired by Miami prostitutes, depicting a kneeling figure with spread thighs, artificial eyelashes, and a necklace of small birds. 'The Cradle' (De Bakermat) (2009-2010) is a bronze piece based on a wicker basket woven by an artisan after a Breughel work, featuring a pseudo-ovoid mandorla balanced on a 'phallus impudicus' mushroom. 'A Dutch Garden' (2009) pays homage to Bernard Palissy with organic compositions of hybrid creatures. The exhibition also includes 'The Collectors,' three glazed ceramic squirrels guarding hazelnuts, showcasing vibrant enamel colors from browns to orange and metallic silver. Creten's refined, almost decadent aesthetic elevates ceramic and bronze to contemporary mediums.