Appointment with Pascale Risbourg

In this exclusive interview, Pascale Risbourg shares her vision of an art capable of re-enchanting reality, resisting norms, and making space for chance, ambiguity, and dreams in an often saturated world. Discover how she continues, with perseverance and intuition, to reinvent our relationship with the world.

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1/ What is the main emotion or message you hope to convey through your works?

Through my creations, I try to convey an idea of freedom and questioning. I like to think that art can make life more intense, more joyful, and sometimes even lighter in the face of what surrounds us. My work seeks to reveal the hidden poetry of everyday life, showing that everything can become material for imagining, subverting, and reinventing.

2/ How did you find your artistic path, and what key moments shaped you as an artist?

I believe my path was built very early on, in a universe where imagination and the stage were omnipresent. Growing up between a magician father and an eccentric mother, along with a pronounced taste for art in all its forms, nourished my love for movement and metamorphosis. The creation of my first piece, the "Fête express" bag that transforms into a dress in 1989, was a founding moment: I understood then that I wanted to abolish the boundaries between art, fashion, design, and everyday objects.

3/ To what extent has your artistic vision evolved since your beginnings?

My vision has evolved toward ever greater freedom, with creativity as the common denominator. Initially, I worked mainly with clothing and transformable objects. Then my work expanded to wallpapers, ceramics, furniture, sculpture, and installations. Today, I consider every medium a potential field of exploration. What remains constant, however, is my desire to subvert codes and create a dialogue between aesthetics, emotion, and utility.

4/ Is there a recurring theme or idea that often comes up in your work, and why is it important to you?

Yes, there is undoubtedly this idea of permanent transformation. Transforming a bag into a dress, funerary flowers into living objects, a classic toile de Jouy into a contemporary erotic backdrop... I like to shift boundaries and unsettle what is taken for granted. I am also very attached to the idea that chance and accidents contribute to creation. A work should never be frozen; it must remain alive, open, and in motion.

5/ How does the relationship with your audience influence your creation, if at all?

I do not create to meet a specific expectation, but I like the idea that the viewer discovers several layers of interpretation in my work. Some pieces require one to get close, to take the time to look differently. This silent dialogue with the public is important to me: it allows everyone to project their own story, imagination, or humor into the work.

6/ Can you tell us about a work you are currently selling, and why it has special significance for you?

My ceramics now occupy a very special place in my work. To me, they represent a meeting point between drawing, material, and the body. Working with clay requires a total physical commitment, and the final result always remains partly unpredictable due to the firing process. I like the idea that a work retains a sense of accident and mystery. These pieces also embody a form of fragile balance between geometric rigor and the delicacy of gravity.

7/ What are the difficulties you encounter as an artist, and how do you overcome them?

The greatest difficulty is undoubtedly always questioning oneself. Artistic freedom is exhilarating, but it also forces one to constantly start over, to accept doubt, failure, and dissatisfaction. My creative process is very demanding: I push an idea until I have completely deconstructed it before rebuilding it. What allows me to move forward is perseverance and intuition. I don't let go until I have found the right balance.

8/ As an artist exhibited at RART, what do you think of the idea of art as a response to the pressures of the modern world?

I think art is more necessary than ever. In a world that is highly regulated, fast-paced, and often saturated with standardized images, creating is a way to reintroduce sensitivity, ambiguity, desire, and dreams. Art allows us to re-enchant reality, shift perspectives, and resist boxes and automatisms. For me, it is not just an escape, but a way to reinvent our relationship with the world.

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