About

Bio

Anne-Marie Dehon was born in Belgium in 1988. After a degree in political science, she studied ceramics with F. Urrejola (Lodève, FR), and painting at the Royal Academy of Fine Art (Brussels, BE). She worked as an artist between 2012 and 2020 in Brussels before moving to Sweden in 2020. She has recently been graduated at Hdk-Valand (Gothenburg, SE) in ceramic art and at the Research Lab at Konstfack (Stockholm, SE). She is one of the co-foundator of the Kollektiv Tontouristen. Her projects have been supported among others by the Konstnärsnämnden, the Slöjdföreningen and the Estrid Ericsons foundation.

Artist Statement

In my work, I explore the intimate relationships between craft, nature, and industry, particularly through the lens of ceramics. I explore artistically the development of ceramics both as a resistance to industrialization and as a connection to the natural world. Today, I believe in the need to retell, elaborate, augment, circulate stories owing to the craft’s history and re-tell fabulations that can open new ways of making and recreating oneself and the world.

I began my journey with ceramics on a community farm, driven by a desire to live with as little reliance on technology as possible. For me, it was a way to lay the foundation for a life that was simple, beautiful, and respectful of both people and nature. While the young, romantic idealist I was has matured, the core of that ideal continues to grow and develop. My work is built upon these values, drawing inspiration from the revolutionary ideals that shape the lives of ordinary people.

In my practice, I combine theoretical and practical explorations. I engage with readings and writing, allowing these reflections to inform the hands-on work in my studio, with both aspects of the process continuously feeding into one another.

Over the years, I have explored various themes and histories of objects that sit at the intersection of craft, nature, and industry—from telecommunication cables to the evolution of the porcelain industry. My investigation begins with an immersive process: visiting places, exploring museums, delving into archives, and meeting with people. Research helps me contextualize and sift through the information I gather, allowing me to discern the narratives I wish to explore.

As this investigative process unfolds, I experiment in my studio with materials, techniques, and especially with ceramic color. I am fascinated by the composition of pigments and the symbolism embedded in color palettes. What do ceramics represent? How do different pigments transform the narrative of the piece? I aim to understand and amplify the language of ceramics through this ongoing dialogue with material and color.

In addition to ceramics, I work with video, using it as a medium to observe and capture the world from a distanced perspective, and through editing, to craft new narratives that intertwine images and text.

I regularly keep a journal, recording my thoughts, discoveries, and technical challenges along the way. Through re-writing, I strive to share not only the history or function of the objects I study, but also the personal stories—of myself and of the people I meet. Writing allows me to weave these narratives together, each with its own set of hopes and desires.

At the heart of my practice lies a sense of curiosity, joy, and love. I rarely know where the journey will take me, and often the journey itself is more important than the destination. Over the years, I have sought to keep alive the political beliefs that underlie my work, the joy I find in the act of creating, and the relentless curiosity that drives me to continue questioning the world around me.