Claire de Lavallée is a French sculptor, based in Paris, who works mainly in ceramics. After graduating early from high school, she went on to work as a speech therapist, and then as a singer with Noémie Perugia, until one day when driven by an impulse to work with her hands, she began sculpting objects. De Lavallée first debuted her work at Frederic de Luca’s “En Attendant les Barbares” gallery in 1989 and has been consistently making work ever since. In 2008, she expanded her practice to include hand carving in materials like stone and wood, a labor-intensive and time-consuming process. Eventually, she returned to her initial material interests working with any and every type of clay and color — sandstone, earthenware, porcelain, ochre, white and black — highlighting the qualities of each by giving special attention to the way the materials can fold, reflect light, break open, or with enamel that only partially covers the work’s surfaces. She has collaborated with and created pieces for many institutions including Kenzo, the Réunion de Musées Nationaux, Daum, and Hermès. In 2016, a solo exhibition for de Lavallée was held at Galerie Pierre-Alain Challier in Paris. In 2020, Valerie Goodman Gallery will host her first U.S. solo show. CV WORKS & EXHIBITIONS 2018 “Torses, Gisantes” sculptures in porcelain2016 Galerie Pierre-Alain Challier - Paris, France2014 Commissions for Peter Marino2009 “Genèse” collection for Hermès Maison 2008 “Bords arrachés” series for Takashimaya - New York, NY2005 “Big-Bang” dining set for the restaurant Hélène Darroze - Paris, France2000 “Aquariums” vases for the Musée Matisse de Nice - Nice, France1995 “Coupes aux Serpents” for Daum - Nancy, France1998 Réunion des Musées Nationaux, jewelry and objects in ceramic based on Cézanne, Matisse and Picasso1993 “Nénuphars” for Kenzo Home1989 En Attendant Les Barbares - Paris, France Galerie Avant-Scène - Paris, France In the press:Le Monde - April 13, 2013