Florence Doléac

For over twenty years, artist and designer Florence Doléac has produced objects that are mostly functional, but also often purposeless and at times short-lived – a perforated table, drooping chairs and masked lamps, all of which inject a degree of fantasy into domestic settings.

After working with the Radi Designers group from 1993 to 2003, Florence Doléac cut loose from the limitations of industrial production by working as a teacher at the École nationale supérieure des Arts Décoratifs in Paris. Her collaboration with a medical research laboratory on plantar stimulation flooring led her to work with a variety of specialists, from scientists to artisans, which played a part in developing her raw, synthetic and playful aesthetic. By referencing and reinterpreting objects, Florence Doléac puts together seemingly unassuming propositions. She explores the transformative possibilities and upcycling of industrial materials, looks into traditional craftsmanship (Vallauris ceramics, Kirghiz tapestry…) and, for each piece, negotiates between the invention of new forms or deliberate non-intervention.

Drawing inspiration from cognitive sciences, psychiatric anthropology and shamanism, Florence Doléac shows consistent interest in limp shapes and regressive postures. Through her use of child-like exaggeration and at times grotesque humour, she captures our everyday habits and social rituals and distributes her pieces like so many mirages.