Laurent Craste
b. in Paris, France. lives and works in Montreal.
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Born in France, Laurent Craste has been living and working in Montreal for the past 25 years. His practice focuses on the exploration of the multiple layers of meaning of decorative objects: ideologically, aesthetically, and through their sociological and historical dimensions. The porcelain vase, in particular, has for years been the subject of predilection of the artist's work. Laurent appropriates this archetypal figure of decorative arts, using it as matter, support and playground for his artistic interventions, in order to create striking formal and conceptual proposals.
Ceramist by trade, Laurent Craste also holds a Master in Visual and Media Arts from UQAM. His works are on display in numerous private and public collections (Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, the Public collection of the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade of Canada, Claridge collection, etc.)
Throughout his almost 20 years long career, Laurent Craste participated in about 60 group exhibitions in Canada, the United States, Europe and Asia. He also presented a dozen solo exhibitions. Over the past two years, he proposed two major solo exhibitions at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts and the Tom Thomson Art Gallery in Owen Sound, Ontario. This year, his work has also been exhibited in New York (Museum of Moving Image) and Paris (Cité de la Mode et du Design).
download cv
Born in France, Laurent Craste has been living and working in Montreal for the past 25 years. His practice focuses on the exploration of the multiple layers of meaning of decorative objects: ideologically, aesthetically, and through their sociological and historical dimensions. The porcelain vase, in particular, has for years been the subject of predilection of the artist's work. Laurent appropriates this archetypal figure of decorative arts, using it as matter, support and playground for his artistic interventions, in order to create striking formal and conceptual proposals.
Ceramist by trade, Laurent Craste also holds a Master in Visual and Media Arts from UQAM. His works are on display in numerous private and public collections (Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, the Public collection of the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade of Canada, Claridge collection, etc.)
Throughout his almost 20 years long career, Laurent Craste participated in about 60 group exhibitions in Canada, the United States, Europe and Asia. He also presented a dozen solo exhibitions. Over the past two years, he proposed two major solo exhibitions at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts and the Tom Thomson Art Gallery in Owen Sound, Ontario. This year, his work has also been exhibited in New York (Museum of Moving Image) and Paris (Cité de la Mode et du Design).
Past Exhibitions at Mónica Reyes Gallery formerly Back Gallery Project
Laurent Craste | Revolution's Small Collateral Damage (2017)
News
"Editor's Roundtable" by Matthew Kangas, Visual Art Source, Weekly Newsletter, August 18, 2017
"Seattle New Wild West Art World" by Matthew Rose, The Art Blog, August 17, 2017
"Art that echoes the cries of a revolutionary”, article de Regina Haggo, The Spec, 17 décembre 2016
"Laurent Craste: Porcelain Power", article by Emily Falvey, Canadian Art vol. 32, n.2, p.86-87, summer 2015.
"Vases Channel Buster Keaton in a Modern Take on Shadow Puppetry", article by Beckett Mufson, The Creators Project, April 23 2015.
"Montréal à la nuit blanche de Paris", article by Émilie Côté, La Presse, Octobre 5 2014
"The necessary interconnectivity between art and business", article by Sophie Chauvet, Graphite publication, June 21 2014
"Vitrine d'art en haut du Mont-Royal", article by Joseph Boju, Le Devoir, May 27 2014
"Porcelain: breaking tradition", article by 'Isa Tousignant, Canadian Art, spring 2014, p.122-123.
"Contemporary ceramics: three perspectives", Diane Charbonneau, M magazine, January 2014, p.18-19.
"Laurent Craste – Dans tous ses éclats", article by André Seleanu, Vie des arts n.233, p. 32-33, winter 2013/2014.
"Visual Arts: The power of porcelain", article by John Pohl, The Gazette, December 6 2013
"De la porcelaine à l'oeuvre: le récit actuel de la céramique", article by Éric Clément, La Presse, November 21 2013
"Casser une noble image. La porcelaine comme matériau dans la création actuelle", article by Jérôme Delgado, Le Devoir, cahier Culture, November 16 2013
"The dramatic porcelains of Laurent Craste", article by Rachael Grad, February 2013 published on the website www.apartmenttherapy
"Earth and Alchemy : contemporary ceramic sculpture", article by Meredith Cutler, Art Scope, New England’s cultural magazine, novembre/décembre 2012, p. 8-9.
"Artist Profile: Laurent Craste Subverts Image of Precious Porcelain", article published on the website http://www.artsobserver.com, December 29 2012.
"Possession : les fantômes d’objets", article by Éric Clément, La Presse, March 26 2012
"Laurent CRASTE: intensité et ambiguïté", article by Denis Longchamps, Espace Sculpture n.99, p.40-41, winter 2012.
"Savoir-faire : interventions actuelles sur l’objet de porcelaine — Current Interventions on the Porcelain Object", article by Dominique allard, Esse n.74, p.26-33, winter 2012.
"Sculpture - Ludisme: Artists play at Galerie sas", article by Bettina Forget, The Belgo Report, 17 juin 2011.
"Sloppy or Skilled ? Post-disciplinarity and traditions" conference by Denis Longchamps - University Art Association of Canada, Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario, October 27-29, 2011
"Portfolio: eight creative Canadians who work by Crossing the Line", Leopold CJ Kowolik, Studio Magazine fall/winter 2011/2012, p. 47.
"Yannick Pouliot, Guillaume Lachapelle, Laurent Craste: Foyer, doux foyer – objet, animisme et domesticité", article by Ève de Garie-Lamanque, Espace Sculpture n.96, p.15-18, summer 2011.
"Laurent Craste, when trying to blow out a vase becomes beautiful", article by Julien Neuville, Hand(some)made magazine, may 2011.
"Laurent Craste: destruction/création", Géraldyne Masson, Clark magazine n.47, p.17, 2011.
"Ten artists first-time buyers should invest in now", Stephanie Saunders, Toronto life, November 24 2010.
"PULSE Prize New York 2010 - Runners Up, PULSE People's Choice Award New York 2010"
"Laurent Craste : Shards of Vanity", interview par Kirsten Matthew. Dirty Magazine. http://dirty-mag.com/01/art_lcraste.html – 2010.
"The Silence of Still Life", article de Pascale Beaudet, published in Ceramics : Art and Perception, n.79, p.84-87 - 2010.
"Tout est vanité", article de Nicolas Mavrikakis publié dans l’hebdomadaire culturel Voir, volume 23 numéro 47, 26 novembre 2009.
"Art public et communautés", article de Denis Longchamps publié dans Espace Sculpture n.88, p.8-11 – 2009.
"Laurent Craste : la vie n’est-elle qu’un décor ?", article by Géraldine Zaccardelli published in Vie des Arts n.212, p.88-89 - 2008.
"Refuge - a project of Art-Terre collective", article by Denis Longchamps, édité dans le site web de la Fédération Canadienne des Métiers d’Art – 2007. (www.canadiancraftsfederation.ca)
"Le Parcours céramique de Carouge", article de Carole Andréanni publié dans la Revue de la Céramique et du Verre, n.146, p. 50 - 2006.
"Laurent Craste : metamorphoses and inventions", article by Pascale Beaudet, published in Ceramics : Art and Perception n.60, p.59-61 – 2005.
"La céramique au Québec", article by Carole Andréanni published in La Revue de la Céramique et du Verre, n.131, p. 26-36 - 2003.
"Laurent Craste receives the $10,000 Winifred Shantz Award for Ceramists", Waterloo Chronicle, October 16 2002.
"Shantz Award gives Montreal artist chance to study in Europe", The Record, September 22 2002.
"L’art de la terre", cahier Arts Visuels, Le Nouvelliste, August 10 2002.
"Canada’s tenth National Biennial", published in Ceramics Monthly, December 2002, p.37-39.
"Références", article de Paul Haines, publié dans la revue Contact n.114, p.37, 38 – 1998.
"Seattle New Wild West Art World" by Matthew Rose, The Art Blog, August 17, 2017
"Art that echoes the cries of a revolutionary”, article de Regina Haggo, The Spec, 17 décembre 2016
"Laurent Craste: Porcelain Power", article by Emily Falvey, Canadian Art vol. 32, n.2, p.86-87, summer 2015.
"Vases Channel Buster Keaton in a Modern Take on Shadow Puppetry", article by Beckett Mufson, The Creators Project, April 23 2015.
"Montréal à la nuit blanche de Paris", article by Émilie Côté, La Presse, Octobre 5 2014
"The necessary interconnectivity between art and business", article by Sophie Chauvet, Graphite publication, June 21 2014
"Vitrine d'art en haut du Mont-Royal", article by Joseph Boju, Le Devoir, May 27 2014
"Porcelain: breaking tradition", article by 'Isa Tousignant, Canadian Art, spring 2014, p.122-123.
"Contemporary ceramics: three perspectives", Diane Charbonneau, M magazine, January 2014, p.18-19.
"Laurent Craste – Dans tous ses éclats", article by André Seleanu, Vie des arts n.233, p. 32-33, winter 2013/2014.
"Visual Arts: The power of porcelain", article by John Pohl, The Gazette, December 6 2013
"De la porcelaine à l'oeuvre: le récit actuel de la céramique", article by Éric Clément, La Presse, November 21 2013
"Casser une noble image. La porcelaine comme matériau dans la création actuelle", article by Jérôme Delgado, Le Devoir, cahier Culture, November 16 2013
"The dramatic porcelains of Laurent Craste", article by Rachael Grad, February 2013 published on the website www.apartmenttherapy
"Earth and Alchemy : contemporary ceramic sculpture", article by Meredith Cutler, Art Scope, New England’s cultural magazine, novembre/décembre 2012, p. 8-9.
"Artist Profile: Laurent Craste Subverts Image of Precious Porcelain", article published on the website http://www.artsobserver.com, December 29 2012.
"Possession : les fantômes d’objets", article by Éric Clément, La Presse, March 26 2012
"Laurent CRASTE: intensité et ambiguïté", article by Denis Longchamps, Espace Sculpture n.99, p.40-41, winter 2012.
"Savoir-faire : interventions actuelles sur l’objet de porcelaine — Current Interventions on the Porcelain Object", article by Dominique allard, Esse n.74, p.26-33, winter 2012.
"Sculpture - Ludisme: Artists play at Galerie sas", article by Bettina Forget, The Belgo Report, 17 juin 2011.
"Sloppy or Skilled ? Post-disciplinarity and traditions" conference by Denis Longchamps - University Art Association of Canada, Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario, October 27-29, 2011
"Portfolio: eight creative Canadians who work by Crossing the Line", Leopold CJ Kowolik, Studio Magazine fall/winter 2011/2012, p. 47.
"Yannick Pouliot, Guillaume Lachapelle, Laurent Craste: Foyer, doux foyer – objet, animisme et domesticité", article by Ève de Garie-Lamanque, Espace Sculpture n.96, p.15-18, summer 2011.
"Laurent Craste, when trying to blow out a vase becomes beautiful", article by Julien Neuville, Hand(some)made magazine, may 2011.
"Laurent Craste: destruction/création", Géraldyne Masson, Clark magazine n.47, p.17, 2011.
"Ten artists first-time buyers should invest in now", Stephanie Saunders, Toronto life, November 24 2010.
"PULSE Prize New York 2010 - Runners Up, PULSE People's Choice Award New York 2010"
"Laurent Craste : Shards of Vanity", interview par Kirsten Matthew. Dirty Magazine. http://dirty-mag.com/01/art_lcraste.html – 2010.
"The Silence of Still Life", article de Pascale Beaudet, published in Ceramics : Art and Perception, n.79, p.84-87 - 2010.
"Tout est vanité", article de Nicolas Mavrikakis publié dans l’hebdomadaire culturel Voir, volume 23 numéro 47, 26 novembre 2009.
"Art public et communautés", article de Denis Longchamps publié dans Espace Sculpture n.88, p.8-11 – 2009.
"Laurent Craste : la vie n’est-elle qu’un décor ?", article by Géraldine Zaccardelli published in Vie des Arts n.212, p.88-89 - 2008.
"Refuge - a project of Art-Terre collective", article by Denis Longchamps, édité dans le site web de la Fédération Canadienne des Métiers d’Art – 2007. (www.canadiancraftsfederation.ca)
"Le Parcours céramique de Carouge", article de Carole Andréanni publié dans la Revue de la Céramique et du Verre, n.146, p. 50 - 2006.
"Laurent Craste : metamorphoses and inventions", article by Pascale Beaudet, published in Ceramics : Art and Perception n.60, p.59-61 – 2005.
"La céramique au Québec", article by Carole Andréanni published in La Revue de la Céramique et du Verre, n.131, p. 26-36 - 2003.
"Laurent Craste receives the $10,000 Winifred Shantz Award for Ceramists", Waterloo Chronicle, October 16 2002.
"Shantz Award gives Montreal artist chance to study in Europe", The Record, September 22 2002.
"L’art de la terre", cahier Arts Visuels, Le Nouvelliste, August 10 2002.
"Canada’s tenth National Biennial", published in Ceramics Monthly, December 2002, p.37-39.
"Références", article de Paul Haines, publié dans la revue Contact n.114, p.37, 38 – 1998.