Les Lalannes’ Granddaughter Makes Joyful Animal Sculptures Too

This meant that the fruits of de Chabaneix’s labor were scheduled to open at Passebon’s Galerie du Passage come next month. Unfortunately, due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, those plans have been somewhat stymied. In addition to a virtual exhibition made possible through the online platform Artsy, which will go live December 2, the show will be physically installed from December 9 through February 27. In-person visits will be available on an appointment-only basis, with the exact dates still in flux. 

Exhibition formats aside, the show illustrates what Clémentine calls “generational techniques,” like the use of the electroplating, which her grandmother perfected. It involves covering real leaves and blossoms with a thin coat of copper, which will no doubt be familiar to fans of Les Lalanne. It also represents a departure in terms of de Chabaneix’s artistic process. “I used to work in resin, but it’s too toxic [so] I decided to change materials,” she explains. “I wanted to sculpt. I discovered ceramic, which in fact transformed my work. I threw myself into this new material and let it take me away.”

Some of her finished pieces are quite large, such as a green alligator bench. Others, like a couple of fox lamps, top out at two feet. Speaking more broadly of her creative thinking, she notes, “I live in a very interior, very quiet world. The animals are in fact psychological portraits. A way to express interior exploration.” Later on, she adds, “I created my own sort of language, but everyone will read my works the way they want to.”