CH.89: If you were to categorize or describe the style of your artwork, what would it be and why?
CR: My work revolves around the relationship we have with the body, our own and other people’s, and around societal issues. It lies somewhere between what I call “functional art” and sculpture. I use domestic codes to “tame” the visitor and force him to rethink his relationship to the work. I am interested in knowing how a work of art can become a partner for the body. I want to invent a space where the visitor communicates with the work in a circular dialog.
CH.89: Where do you draw your inspiration from?
CR: From many things. Dance and cinema hold an important place in my inspirations, I need visual shock. Literature also, when I am interested in reflecting on a specific topic. Classical painting from the XVI, XVIIth century. But it can also be things from my everyday life, things that I see or than surround me. In my studio, I like to collect photos and objects that I pick up here and there. I think they indirectly infuse my routine or my work.
CH.89: Can you talk a little bit about what your creative thought process is like when starting a new project/ piece of artwork?
CR: I do a little rough draft on my ideas and I switch to volumes very fast. As far as I am concerned, experimenting with different materials is quite long. I like to divert materials from their initial function.
CH.89: Is there anything in particular that you would want people to take from your artwork?
CR: A different look on themselves.
CH.89: Can you talk a little bit about your lifestyle as an artist and what that is like?
CR: I like to separate “back office” moments from proper production ones. I spend most of my time in my studio, but I also like to visit many galleries, exhibitions and events at night to see what’s happening around me, I am very dynamic. I have also been the art curator for Feÿ Arts for the past two years, a young artists’ festival based in Bourgogne.
CH.89: When starting out an artistic task, do you think it is better to have a particular direction/set plan guiding your way? Or, is it better to act on impulse and go from there?
CR: I always have an idea in mind when starting a new work. I think of what I want to convey through it. But the result is always a surprise, and it’s what I like about my creative process, making “accidents”.
CH.89: What is one major lesson you’ve learned as an artist thus far?
CR: Resilience.
CH.89: Do you regard personal style & taste to be of highest importance?
CR: I think an artist shouldn’t have style or taste criteria or he will never be surprised about his work nor able to invent new different languages.
CH.89: What do you consider to be the hardest thing about being an artist?
CR: To look at yourself truly and honestly, in the depths of yourself. And isolate the rest, the beliefs, the social codes, the things you learned during your studies, everything that stands in the way of your creation and rules your life. And then start a dialog from there.
CH.89: What is one thing you love about being an artist?
CR: Watching the world, digesting it and reflecting it.
CH.89: Is there anyone in particular, any artist’s that inspire you in any way?
CR: Many! They are the ones who made me want to become an artist as well. My desires and my “tastes” have changed but I remain very inspired by artists such as Iza Genzken, Nairy Baghramian or Louise Bourgeois to only name a few.
CH.89: What do you think of technology in terms of being a useful tool for artists today?
CR: It’s an interesting question. As far as I am concerned, I think it’s great! You have to embrace it, as long as it remains a tool and not a proper language.
CH.89: Do you think being an artist allows you to view the world differently from those who don’t follow creative paths?
CR: It depends on the questions you’re raising. But being an artist allows you to have the time to raise them.
CH.89: Do you enjoy traveling? If so, do you have a favorite city?
CR: I have been travelling by myself since I was old enough to do so. There are so many cities I love, it’s very hard for me to pick just one… But if I had to, I would say Berlin, where I lived for a while. Berlin has a great energy, it’s a mix of many different things I love; the open spaces, the omnipresence of nature, the multiple identities, full of paradox. It is a very diverse and cosmopolitan city but has a very slow feeling at the same time.
CH.89: Do you have a favorite author or book?
CR: I have an obsessive temperament so it depends on the period. Right now I am very interested in Paul B. Preciado’s thought.
CH.89: Any future goals or plans for your artwork?
CR: I will be showing my latest work in Milano soon.
CH.89: What does being an artist mean to you?
CR: It means taking a stance, having a vision and being able to express it somehow.
CH.89: What’s the last song you listened to?
CR: O Superman, by Laurie Anderson. I absolutely love this music.
CH.89: Any last words on the aesthetic of your artwork?
CR: (|)
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