Collection: Marie-France Desbonnet

Origins and inspirations

Originally from Troyes, my childhood was spent between the factory where my father worked and the surrounding countryside. In the garment workshops, I was deeply affected by the noise of the machines, the smells of cut fabrics, and the scent of waxed wood floors. Today, these factories are gone, leaving behind a great void, with only a chimney remaining as a reminder of their past activity.

This disappearance evokes in me a nostalgia tinged with revolt. It symbolizes the end of a period of intense activity and the abandonment of our skills in favor of exporting. This observation, equally disastrous in some Parisian workshops, has long fueled 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 stains – conveys 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 colors, especially those created by the interplay of changing light on water and plants. These luminous effects blend with the existing materials in my work, revealing the beauty of materials in transformation, such as rust, combined with the ever-growing natural world of plants.

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 awards

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

My journey and my works reflect a poetic and committed quest, seeking to immortalize beauty in transformation and the legacy of forgotten skills.