Ronceval Frankrijk, b. 1999
"It felt as if clay was made for me, or as if I was made for clay."
Ronceval (born in Lyon, 1999) only began sculpting during the pandemic, yet the work of this talented young sculptor is already on display in Lille, Megève, L’isle-sur-la-Sorgue, L’ile de Ré, La Baule, St Etienne, and now in Tilburg. As a child, he was outdoors as often as possible, in his small backyard or exploring the nearby woods.
He considers his early and frequent contact with animals incredibly fortunate. They inspire his work in a way that echoes the words of French biologist and philosopher Baptiste Morizot: “'Animals deserve more than childlike or moral attention: they are fellow inhabitants of the earth with whom we share a destiny, the mystery of life, and the responsibility to live together decently.”
As a teenager, Ronceval's mother became an artist. This familiarised him with the atmosphere of the studio and the creation of artworks. However, he created nothing himself until, during the lockdown, he opened a pack of clay in his mother's studio and began to sculpt. This felt so natural that it seemed as if the clay was made for him - or he for the clay.
Since then, alongside his studies, he has been creating sculptures. His talent has not gone unnoticed: initially, galleries in France contacted him one by one, and now his reputation is growing beyond the borders of his homeland.