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a black and white photo of a sculpture on top of a rock
Hôtel des Ventes de Clermont-Ferrand

9 - THIERRY COURTADON
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Sale commission
Description
THIERRY COURTADON LAVA LACE About the work Born of the Earth’s fire, Volvic stone carries within it the memory of time. Yet, in the hands of Thierry Courtadon, it reveals a different story. The artist has developed a unique technique that pushes the boundaries of this volcanic rock. He infuses it with an unexpected movement, as if the stone were becoming supple and alive. The material opens up, is pierced, interwoven, and creates a delicate mashrabiya-like effect where the empty and solid spaces interact harmoniously. The cut-outs intertwine like words in a poem. They allow light to pass through, cast shifting shadows and invite everyone to project their own emotions onto them. Straddling mineral power and ethereal lightness, the work seems to defy the very laws of stone. This sculpture embodies Thierry Courtadon’s signature style: transforming volcanic rock into stone lace, revealing grace where one might expect strength, and evoking emotion at the very heart of the material. Thierry Courtadon Heir to a long line of stonemasons, Thierry Courtadon grew up surrounded by Volvic stone. In the workshops first of his grandfather Fernand and then his father Jean-Louis, he learnt at a very early age to understand the material, to respect it and to reveal its infinite possibilities. With over thirty years’ experience, he is now recognised as one of the masters of volcanic stone. His work does not consist of dominating the rock, but of engaging in a dialogue with it. This intimate knowledge enables him to constantly push the technical boundaries of Volvic trachyandesite. A pioneer, he was the first to lend this stone an apparent lightness, to transform it into mineral lace and to create the openwork structures that have become his signature. His artistic world is instantly recognisable: somewhere between abstraction and nature, between strength and fragility. For with Thierry Courtadon, nature is never far away. It lies hidden in a curve, in a branching pattern, in the play of light through the stone. A leaf, a root, a breath of wind or the movement of water always seem to be at work beneath the mineral surface. Today, his works can be found in France and internationally. They demonstrate an exceptional mastery of the material and a unique artistic vision, capable of transforming volcanic stone into emotion, light and poetry. 50 x 50 cm, Volvic lava, engraving
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About the sale CHARITY SALE: THE ART OF CARING – IN AID OF THE CLERMONT-FERRAND UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL
Auction location
Auction time 10/20/2026 at 7:00 PM
Pictures credits: Contact the Auction House
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