Artist Spotlight - Jeanne Opgenhaffen

At first glance, what do these pictures remind you of? What do they look like they are made of? Close up of skin cells, repeating patterns in nature? Paper sculptures?

Remarkably enough these pieces by Jeanne Opgenhaffen are handmade, colored, porcelain tiles. Her large murals are created my thousands of tiles, overlapped in different shades and tones. 

According to her website, Opgenhaffen draws inspiration from the earths layers and rock strata. She attempts to bring movement into her pieces, like breeze blowing through a field. I really see that in her work. You can tell she is inspired by the natural world: rocks, the earth and geology. 

She is based in Belgium and continues to create her murals, along with other realms of ceramics. Living and working in Belgium, Jeanne has been exhibiting her internationally recognized work with natural and colored porcelain since 1980. With awards and exhibitions in Australia, Germany, Egypt, England, Isreal, Italy, Netherlands, New Zealand, Belgium, Slovaikia, Taiwan, and USA. 

"THE RIVER AS WILD AND BEAUTIFUL AND TORRENT AS ANY ON THE FACE OF THE PLANET PICKED ITS COURSE, ONCE AGO AND BEGAN ITS MASTERWORK"

I really like how Opgenhaffen uses color and the layers to create a sense of depth within her work. I keep looking at the picture above, expecting it to move and change.

 This piece is called "As Darkness Falls"

Characters and numbers

Commission from the Flemisch Community 1997. The mural work is an installation of a mass of printed porcelain cuttings, where in digits and characters appear, signs, figures and contrasts of dark in a sensible field of white. Like inscriptions on a noble support.

It's this kind of abstract work that really stirs me. I love the simplicity, the beauty and the subtle connection to the natural world.