Emmanuelle Lepic’s hand-built ceramics are inspired by the pots and vases depicted in historical paintings. She gives these two-dimensional objects a second life by recreating them in clay, bestowing movement and fluidity onto these previously insensate items.

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A former Art History student at École du Louvre in Paris, Lepic begins the creation process by sculpting slabs of stoneware clay into a set shape. Beneath her touch, a corporeal presence emerges from the raw material: the delicate curve of a spine; an elegant neck; the fragile yet strong décolleté of a dancer.

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Once inside the kiln, the vessels’ sensuality and fragility are fully realised as the different combinations of slips and glazes react with heat. What emerges is a form imbued with balletic grace and human vulnerability.

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While some of Lepic’s sculptures dance alone, others form an ensemble piece. These expressive silhouettes interact with each other through movement, forming groups that tell a story through their intense bonds.

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Emmanuelle Lepic lives and works in London.