Clément Thevenot is a French designer born in Normandy in 2000. Following a dual course of study between the École Supérieure de design de Troyes and the Pontifical University of Rio de Janeiro, training which will continue to inspire them in their work. 

Clément runs a multidisciplinary studio where Art, Crafts and design meet. Clément work for a art foundry, this will be the genesis of the Archipel project. In 2020, Clément worked alongside Vincent Dubourg as part of an internship, it was an important experience in their career, they discovered a new way of thinking and making objects. Projects that go beyond the sole function to bring vitality into our lives.

A work where the border between Art and Design blurs to give way to singular objects merging with the space around man. Inspired by the work of members of Radical Design for their critical look at our way of designing and consuming objects; the young designer plans to build a domestic world participating in the collective imagination, freeing us from rationality and standardization.

1. Where were you born and where are you from ?

I was born in the Normandy region of France in 2000. I have always lived in the countryside with an environment close to nature.

2. What is your first memory connected to the art world ?

The oldest memory goes back to when I was five or six years old, during a school trip to the Centre Pompidou in Paris. There I discovered the fountain statues of Niki de Saint Phalle, located outside, on the right of the museum. 

The mechanisms associated with colors and shapes had a profound impact on my child’s mind. 

These statues were then sent for restoration for many years. 

I hadn’t really noticed their absence until last year, when I discovered their return. It made me realize how important they had been in my childhood. 

These works were not simple inert statues, devoid of movement.
They were powered by mechanisms and water jets, and I think in a way that’s when I understood what design was without really putting a word to it.

3. Have you always worked in the art/design field ?

I have always evolved in the fields of design and art. There was a period when I became more oriented towards craftsmanship, which allowed me to acquire in-depth knowledge in many skills and to subsequently fully invest myself in design. In my opinion, the boundaries between the disciplines of design, art and crafts are quite permeable, because they share an essential creative and artistic dimension.

4. What led you to the design creation ?

When I was a child, six or eight years old, I was not a prodigy, but I spent my days drawing airplanes, animals, flowers, all these things that aroused my curiosity on a daily basis. A few years later, I started making all sorts of things: wooden planes, which flew no better than a dead leaf, inventions, mechanisms that often only worked halfway or not at all. However, it didn’t matter, because what really mattered to me was getting up every morning with a project that I was passionate about.  After my school career, I naturally went to a design school. My experience in this institution encouraged me to continue on this path, and to become the creative and passionate adult that I am today, a big kid in a way. I can’t really say exactly what drew me to design, it’s something innate to me.

5. How would you describe your creative process and it influences ?

My creative process is a constant balancing act between an abstract universe and manual work. It is a subtle harmony.  I often find my inspiration in the material itself and its exploration, but also in free drawing and any form of artistic expression, such as sculpture or photography. It is a true symbiosis between my hands and my creative mind.  This dialogue develops in the heart of the workshop, taking the form of a back and forth, until I manage to give life to the idea that resides in my mind. Finding this very fragile balance is difficult; it can take a week, six months or a year. 

This creative energy is essential to my own personal balance. Too much time in the studio makes me unhappy, as does too much time devoted to the abstract. I draw my inspiration from tools, ancient and contemporary know-how, nature, history, humanity, their habits, my travels and my books. Everything becomes a source of influence for me, guided above all by my curiosity with its gargantuan appetite. My curiosity is the genesis of my creative process.

6. Could you describe a typical day of your work ?

I don’t really have a typical day at the workshop because projects are constantly being created and reinvented. It is often hard to follow but it is also very stimulating on a daily basis. But I have to say there is always music.

7. Why did you choose the specific materials you work with ?

I chose to work with glass and bronze because these materials intrigue me deeply, and no doubt will always intrigue me.  They have a lot in common like fusion, their composition etc.  The know-how surrounding them has existed for thousands of years, their minerals have inhabited the soil of our planet since the dawn of time. Their history is closely linked to that of humanity, unfolding in a thousand forms. In Mesopotamia, small statuettes and jewelry were already being made from glass paste and bronze. These materials, and the processes that accompany them, have evolved alongside man, I find that infinitely inspiring. These are materials filled with psyche and belief, magic as E.Sottsass says.

8. What are the technical particularities of your creations ?

In my creations, I strive to restore naturalness to the material. I object to the execution of identical form is perfectly smooth which for me are totally devoid of soul. Like when I was little and I made things that only worked in my imagination, I try to experiment and use failures, defects, the naturalness of the material to create shapes and finishes that make sense to me. It’s a way of moving away from the traditional use of materials.

9. What advices could you give to beginning artists who would like to create sculptural design works ?

Not setting any limits, naturally there will be obstacles, but you have to be attentive to these obstacles because they are an immense source of creativity and innovation.

10. If your works had to belong to a design movement, in which one would you define it ?

I don’t like to say that I belong to a particular movement because I don’t think I fit into any box.  Despite everything, I am very inspired by the work of the members of Radical Design for their critical look at our way of designing and consuming objects. Like this design movement, I think that my work is non-conformist and it allows us to free ourselves from rationality and standardization.

11. What designers and artists have influenced you ?

I worked as an assistant alongside Vincent Dubourg. A real learning relationship was established. I was greatly influenced by his world. This then guided me in my career. It was an artist/apprentice relationship a bit like in medieval or renaissance workshops, the proximity I had with the workshop, and the experimentation pushed me to continue in this direction. Vincent still advises me today.

12. What contemporary designers do you appreciate ?

I particularly appreciate the work of Brother Campana for their quality in constantly pushing the boundaries between artisan art. I like the stories that Hubert le Gall tells in his works. I love the work of Vincent Dubourg for his constant experimentation with material and I really like Ettorre Sottsass.

13. What contemporary artists (in any kind of art) have you been inspired by ?

I’m not sure how to answer the question. Few contemporary artists come to mind, I only think of artists whose careers have ended.  I listen to a lot of music and I have to say that Brazilian baile funk will always amaze me Dj Lorran, DJ Anderson, Mc Durrony, Mc Kevinho Chris. I like the way of breaking the codes and the rhythm of the music. It is innovative and they do a lot with little material, their universe is very inspiring and I find it exceptional.

14. If you had to summarize your creations in one word or sentence, what would it be ?

Vitro-metallic alchemy 

Proust Questionnaire with very short answers (one or a few words) :
(The Proust Questionnaire is a set of questions answered by the French writer Marcel Proust. Other historical figures who have answered confession albums are Oscar Wilde, Karl Marx, Arthur Conan Doyle, Stéphane Mallarmé, Paul Cézanne…)