Dorothee Wenz
Curriculum Vitae
Was born in '68 in Germany.
Is independent artist since more than 30 years after obtaining a master degree in art education and fine arts at the University in Mainz.
Was selected to participate in exhibitions in France, the Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland, Estonia, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, South Korea.
Was awarded 6 solo exhibitions and won numerous awards.
Shows her work for the 1st time in Belgium at gallery Adrienne D.
Inspiration
Inspired by nature, her work interprets freely the textures, colors and shapes of stones, fruit, sedimentary deposits and painterly layers of rock.
The minimal forms, usually asymmetrical and curved, have tight contours.
Though individually balanced in volume and form, they are often created in pairs or small groups – harmoniously belonging to each other yet at the same time each one a free, independent vessel.
Simplicity of form contrasts with intricately worked surfaces so dynamic that they evoke a vibrant life all their own.
The idea of function plays no role in her creations. Rather, she looks at them from a sculptural point of view and considering volume, lines, color and proportions. This results in works that could be considered either applied or fine art.
Technique
The material is clay colored by the hand.
Depending on the project, she immerses herself in different strata of color and texture.
The layers of clay are then joined together in a wet state and, depending on the desired structure, kneaded, layered and shaped and then processed into blocks.
She then build the sculptures by hand from these patterned blocks of multi-colored clay. Once they are leather-hard, she scrapes the sculptures with fine steel sheets to rid them of work marks and streaks. This is the step she loves the most where she works with great perseverance and precision.
Finally, the sculptures are fired at 1160 °C and then ground and polished again in an elaborate manual process until a velvety soft surface emerges.
Coloring, layering, building, sanding, polishing....
Each phase has its appeal and needs its own independent attention to time, material and form.
It is a dynamic process whose progress she observes with curiosity and excitement, continuously surprised by what she discovers during the process. Avoiding outside opinion, she experiments with a lot of patience, which over the years has brought her a wealth of experience, on which she continues to build.
