Camille Auclair is a British/French artist who's been based in Mexico since 2018, three years after she was awarded a BFA in textile design at Central Saint Martins, London. Her creative process starts with hand-drawn studies of organic matter, which are then assembled as in a jigsaw puzzle, and painted over to create dreamlike compositions. At first glance, these appear to mimic botanical / natural landscapes and mythological creatures. But, when contemplated in depth, the shapes begin to dissolve into each other, echoing internal organs, faces and cell structures - open to interpretation by the viewer. Whilst some of her compositions find their final form in paint or collage, many will reach their ultimate stage as tactile, textile pieces, usually created using hand-dyed jute, cotton and wool yarns, thus interrogating the role of functionality in art through the practice of a craft, asking at what stage does art become craft and vice versa.
Camille’s work investigates social ecologies, biological interconnectedness, power dynamics in the natural world and how the expedient commodification of natural resources are affecting human relations, creativity and spirituality. It addresses the juxtaposition of two distinct but inseparable strands of existence in a material, human body, as well as a human consciousness and soul, in particular for those with female bodies with a key focus on the womb & other female reproductive organs. Her work considers their role in a society as well as for the individual carrying those organs, with a focus on the experiences of disembodiment and dissociation that can occur when living in a female body. She reconsiders the word ‘community’ and what it means to be a part of one. To her, that word is precarious unless the definition of 'community' is expanded to include all parts of the biospheric ecosystem. Through visual artwork, Camille explores anthropocentric concepts of spirituality, lineage, family and community, and if these concepts can exist beyond the human flesh. In her pieces she tries to rebuild the broken relationship between humans, human bodies, and the non-human world we exist in by composing new, fluxional landscapes and organisms that embody the perfect randomness that occurs within communities.
Sustainability of craft and art practices are integral to her work, as well as the sustainability of human cultures through the practising of art and craft. Collaboration with other artists and artisans is an essential part of the process for her, in particular her relationship with long-term collaborator Maestro Tito Mendoza Ruiz from, artisan and artist specialising in woven textiles, based in Teotitlán Del Valle in Oaxaca, México.
