279 - Romain les Bains

Romain les Bains Lastèque Sculpture stoneware, glaze One-of-a-kind piece 2023 H29 L18 P16.5 cm Lastèque (2023) is a sculpture by Romain les Bains, part of the Fauni-Flora series. In this series, each animal is paired with a fruit or vegetable. This pairing serves as the starting point for the modeling process—and for imagining a story. Here, a rabbit sitting on its pedestal carries a slice of watermelon on its back. A weapon, a provision, a burden, an offering, or an alliance between fauna and flora to defend a territory: the work does not draw a clear line and leaves the question open. The piece is entirely hand-modeled. The clay, enriched with pyrite, develops a unique speckled pattern during high-temperature gas firing, with subtle, matte hues.