My family wax n°9, 2021

Stéphanie Calemard  

After studying at the School of Applied Arts in Lyon, I practiced my art for several years as a graphic designer and illustrator. Drawing and color have thus been the common thread throughout my artistic journey.

The Family Wax series was born during the Covid period. In this suspended time, marked by isolation and the need for connection, I felt the need to return to the essentials: family, passing on traditions, and the presence of others. The characters then emerged quite naturally.

Inspired by wax print fabrics and their graphic richness, my compositions feature human figures with fragmented faces and stylized silhouettes. Each character carries within them a unique story while belonging to a larger community. The patterns become a language, the colors an energy, and the gazes a space for dialogue.

My work explores the notions of identity, memory, and transmission. Through the repetition of forms, the strength of the line, and the vibration of colors, I seek to make visible what connects beings beyond differences: family, cultural, and human ties.