This year’s exciting mega art event–Art Macao–showcases the very best artworks and artists of the industry. One such artist is Gabrielle Wambaugh, a French sculptor whose works are mostly ceramic and sculptures. Having participated since 1993 in exhibitions at Museum of the Capitol, the Museo Internazionale delle Ceramiche Faenza, the Musée Fabre in France, the Sèvres Museum, the Artist Gallery and so on, her works on display encompasses sculptures, large murals, and photographs! We had the privilege to speak to Gabrielle and sought to know more about her creative processes and how she sees the relationship between space and interspace.
Congratulations on being part of Art Macao this year, how did you come to be a part of it?
I joined Art Macao because of Ms Chang Hong from Beijing, who has organized a lot of art exhibitions in Macau in cooperation with many resorts and hotels there over the last ten years. She invited me to participate and I accepted.
Could you tell us more about the works we are seeing shown around Macau? Were they created especially for the Art Macao exhibition or selected them from previous works you had already done?
The work shown in Macau is from my previous work and comes from three different periods of production. The first period is shown at the Manufacture Nationale de Sèvres, the most prestigious porcelain manufactories in France where I did the black sculptures with animal pedestals and balloons which symbolize strength and lightness. Those sculptures are shown in the Macao Museum of Art. The second period is displayed in Riviera Hotel Macau where the sculptures question air, fire and water and the third part in Riviera Hotel Macau as well with the MMM, women legs in different situations carrying while walking. Together with Ms Chang Hong, we decided what pieces we would show after her visit to my studio in Paris.
Sculptures, by Gabrielle Wambaugh
How did you start out making art? Did you always know you wanted to be an artist?
Could you tell us more about your creative process? How do you start out when you want to create a sculpture?
First, I studied philosophy the Sorbonne in Paris, but I always wanted to be an artist and it was at the age of nine when I made my first sculpture. My creative process starts by drawing a lot on my wall at the studio and then I begin the work. I need peace in my studio to create.
What mediums do you usually work in and why? Do you have a favorite and why?
Most of the time I mix ceramic with other mediums such as fabric–I like to combine them. I mainly work with ceramic and fabric, I often mix them together.
Deflated, by Gabrielle Wambaugh (2012)
Your artworks mostly express the relationship between space and interspace, what does this mean exactly? What inspires you in your creative process?
My works mostly express the relationship between space and interspace because I am interested in invisibility. I question the different ways of seeing and understanding spaces. I’m inspired by life in general, the conjunction of what we see and what there is.
What is your most important artist tool?
My hands.
How do you know when your work is “finished”?
I know because I can feel it
What do you think of Macau? Did you have a chance to explore when you were here for the opening?
Yes, my stay in Macau was wonderful, thanks to the generosity and the professionalism of Ms Chang Hong who showed me around, she even took me in the old part of the city, the old houses of Macau. I am very honored to have been invited and chosen to be a part of Art Macao.
For further information, check her website at www.wambaugh.us
Art Macao: Interspace
This exhibition of works by famous French sculptor Gabrielle Wambaugh reflects the integration of space and art. The essence and introspection of contemporary western art in the works can be combined with eastern traditional art. With the hidden truth instantly revealed through space, the exhibition showcases the daring tendencies of exploration in the new era.
Where: Riviera Hotel Macau, 7-13 Rua do Comendador Kou Ho Neng, Macau
How much: Free admission
For more information, check here
“Interspace” exhibition is part of the mega international art and cultural event Art Macao.
Happening from May to October this year, Art Macao brings together cultural institutions, hotel and resort operators, consular missions in Hong Kong and Macau to create an unforgettable atmosphere and cultural vitality to thrill residents and tourists alike.
