Collection: Marie-France Desbonnet

Origins and Inspirations

Originally from Troyes, my childhood was spent between the premises of a factory where my father worked and the surrounding countryside. In the clothing workshops, I was marked by the noise of the machines, the smells of the cut fabrics and the wood of the waxed floors. Today, these factories have disappeared, leaving behind them a great void, with only a chimney as a reminder of the past activity.

This disappearance evokes in me a nostalgia tinged with revolt. It symbolizes the end of a bubbling of intense activity and the abandonment of our know-how in favor of export. This observation, just as disastrous in certain Parisian workshops, has long nourished my artistic work.

Artistic Approach

Through my art, I seek to transform this sad observation into a form of poetry. The juxtaposition of two techniques – black and white drawings or inks and colored spots – translates this duality between the “non-life” represented by black and white, and the vitality symbolized by the constantly evolving vegetation.

I am particularly sensitive to colours, especially those created by the changing play of light on water and plants. These light effects blend with existing materials in my work, revealing the beauty of transforming materials, such as rust, associated with the natural reign of the ever-growing plant world.

My art captures a chosen moment in the evolution of a cycle, where the transformation of materials and the force of nature intertwine to tell a new story.

Exhibitions and Distinctions

• Participation in the Salon du Grand Palais : since 2018
• Exhibition of the Artistic Society of Étampes : since 2022
  • Essonne Region Prize
  • SAE Awards in 2024

My journey and my works reflect a poetic and committed research, seeking to immortalize beauty in the transformation and heritage of forgotten know-how.