Description

Fondation Thalie invites you to discover a selection of porcelain plates created by the South African artist Ruan Hoffmann (n. 1971) under the aegis of Éditions Thalie.

Feigned preoccupations and private thoughts are painted in cartridges reminiscent of those in the comic strip, which are placed on a common and familiar domestic object such as a plate, forcing the viewer into a more intimate contemplative experience; fluctuating between sarcastic and ambitious. The artist gives a biting and ironic vision of a fragile and constantly changing society through a historically charged medium such as porcelain. During this period of “hyper-normalization” (a term coined by the Russian historian Alexei Yurchak), and although our societies may differ fundamentally, there is a very similar feeling in the West today, coupled with a strong restlessness.

“My career in ceramics happened by default. You could say I was sidetracked by the possibilities.  I’m really curious and impatient with ceramics; you never know what to expect. The medium responds well to me and I enjoy playing with clay.”
— Ruan Hoffmann

Each piece has been handmade using a hand-crafted firing process, Amsterdam, 2020
Unique edition on sale in our shop and on the Foundation website.
15 Rue Buchholtz
1050 Brussels
Wednesday to Sunday, from 2pm to 6pm