Born in 1963 in Sint-Truiden, Belgium
Lives and works in Paris, France
Frontrunner in the revival of ceramics in contemporary art, the Paris based artist Johan Creten (born in 1963) has been working on the move for almost forty years, from Mexico to Rome, from Miami to The Hague.
With his innovative use of ceramics, he started working with clay in the late 1980s, when the medium was still seen as taboo in the contemporary art world. Famous for his allegorical sculptures in ceramic and bronze, Johan Creten continues since the 90's his representations of a world full of poetry, lyricism and mysteries. They underline the importance of beauty in his work, while reaffirming his humanist consciousness and the social and political resonance of his practice. In his creative process, Johan Creten mentions “Slow art” and the need for a return to introspection and exploration of the world with its individual and societal torments.
solo shows
2020-2021
- I Peccati, Villa Medicis, Rome, Italy
- Entracte, Galerie Perrotin, Paris, France
2019
- True Love, Leila Heller Gallery, Dubaï, United Arab Emirates
- Figur Natur Skulptur, Pilane, Sweden
- Fiac Projects, Parvis du Petit Palais, Paris
- Rédemption, Église Notre-Dame-de-l’Assomption, Valloire, France
2018
- Pliny’s Sorrow, Château d’Arenberg, Leuven, Belgium
- Sunrise/Sunset, Perrotin, Paris, France
- Johan Creten, Beelden Aan Zee, Scheveningen, The Hague, The Netherlands
- Alfred Paintings, Galerie Perrotin, NYC, USA
- Naked Roots / Naakte Wortels, Museum Beldeen Aan Zee Scheveningen, Den Hague, The Netherlands
2017
- Between Day and Dream, Pilevneli Gallery, Istanbul, Turkey
- 8 Gods, Galerie Almine Rech, Brussels, Belgium
2016
- Terre Fertile / Terre Fébrile, Chateau de Pommard, France
- La Traversée, Centre Régional d'Art Contemporain, Sète, France
2015
- The Nature of Clay, The Monaco Project for the Arts 2015 Pavillon Bosio - Ecole Supérieure d'Arts Plastiques, Monaco
- God is a Stranger, Galerie Perrotin, New York, USA
- In Situ 2015, Abbaye de Gellone, Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert, France
2014
- The Storm, Musée Middelheim, Sculpture Park, Anvers, Belgium
- Gulden Snede, Galerie Transit, Mechelen, Belgium
- Fireworks, Perrotin Gallery, Hong Kong
2013
- The Vivisector, Galerie Perrotin, Paris, France
- JC, Almine Rech Gallery, Brussels, Belgium
2012
- Fire-Works, Dhondt-Dhaenens Museum, Deurle, Belgium
2011
- Johan Creten. Pliny's Sorrow, Almine Rech, Brussels, Belgium
- Les ruches de Saint Bernard, Abbaye du Thoronet, Thoronet, France
2010
- Dark Continent Galerie Emmanuel Perrotin, Paris, France
2009
- Why does Strange fruit always look so sweet? Galerie Saint Severin, Paris, France
2008
- Strange Fruit, Galerie Emmanuel Perrotin, Miami, USA
- Johan Creten : La Femmina, Musée archéolique Henri-Prades, Lattes, France
- De Gewonden, Keramiekmuseum Princessehof, Leeuwarden, The Netherlands
- Ex Natura, Musée de la Chasse, (in coproduction with the Manufacture National of Sèvres), Paris, France
2007
- Tour des Forces, Royal Museum of Mariemont, Morlanwelz, Belgium
- Beelden/Sculptures, Stedelijk Museum de Lakenhal, Leiden, The Netherlands
2006
- Narcissus Saved, Transit Galerie, Mechelen, Belgium
2004
- Miami Dreams, De Garage, Mechelen, Belgium
2003
- JC solo, Bass Museum of Art, Miami, USA
- Odore di Femmina, J.Johnson Gallery, Jacksonville, Florida, USA
- JC Sculptures, Elaine Baker, Boca raton, Florida, USA
2001
- 3 Torso’s, Robert Miller Gallery, New York, USA
2000
- JC Sculptures, Riva Yares Gallery, Scottsdale, AZ and Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA
- Casa del Obispado, Arte Actueal Mexicano, Monterrey, Mexico
1998
- L’homme parfait, MAMCO, Genève, Switzerland
- Odore di Femmina, Robert Miller gallery, New York, USA
1997
- La Misère Dorée, Musée des Arts décoratif, Paris, France
1996
- Wereldbeelden, W 139, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
1995
- Amerika Amerika, Galerie Arndt&Partner, Berlin, Germany
1994
- La Mort d’Adonis, FRAC Auvergne, Château de Chareil-Cintrat, France
- Les Amants, Galerie Transit, Leuven, Belgium
- JC Solo, Galerie de la Villa, Villa Arson, Nice, France
- En Quarantaine, Brise-lames, Sète, France
1992
- Le Cheval de Troie, Galerie Transit, Leuven, Belgium
1990
- L’œil de l’antiquaire, Transit Galerie, Belgium
1988
- Kunstkamer, Galerie Meyer, Paris, France
group shows
2021
- Les Extatiques, Parvis de la Défense, Courbevoie, France
- Die Sonne Die Sunde, J. Hopenstand, Geneva, Switzerland
- Group show, Pilevneli gallery, Mandarin Oriental, Bodrum, Turkey
- La Bohème, Alfonso Artiaco Gallery, Napoli, Italy
- Ceramics NOW!, Galerie Italienne, Paris, France
- De Eerste Parade, Knokke-Heist, Belgium
- Les Estivales, Sceaux, France
2020
- ZW-ART, Galerie Transit, Mechelen, Belgium
- Artifices Instables, Histoires de Céramiques, Nouveau Musée National de Monaco - Villa Sauber, Monaco
- Wonderland, Galerie Perrotin, Shanghai, China
2019
- Kunst in Puurs (K.I.P) - Puurs, Belgium
- The Gulf Between. About Black, White and everything in between - De Warande, Belgium
- Anima / Animals - Fondation Villa Datris, L'isle-sur-la-sorgue, France
- The Vivisector, Pilevneli Gallery, Istanbul, Turkey
- Formes Vivantes, Musée Adrien Dubouché, Limoges, France
- Presque Rien, Centre d'Initiatives Artistiques du Mirail, Toulouse, France
- FIAC, Paris, France
- Bêtes de Scène, Fondation Villa Datris, L'isle sur la Sorgues, France
- La Fleur de l'Art, 22Visconti, Paris, France
- Djur Natur Skulptur, Pilane Heritage Museum, Kloevedal, Sweden
- True Love, Leila Heller Gallery, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
- Des Artistes et des Abeilles, La Topographie de l'Art, Paris, France
2018
- Des Artistes & des Abeilles - La Topographie de l'Art, Paris, France
- La Tempête - Centre Régional d'Art contemporain Occitanie (CRAC), Sète, France
- L'Or ! - Musée des Civilisations de l'Europe et de la Méditerranée (Mucem), Marseille, France
- Beelden in Leiden (7th Edition) - Rijksmuseum van Oudheden, Leiden - The Netherlands
- By Fire Ceramic works - Almine Rech Gallery, New York City, USA
- FIAC, Paris, France
- Masterpiece London, Galerie Sismann, Paris, France
- Art Basel Switzerland, Basel, Switzerland
- Frieze New York, New York, USA
- TEFAF Maastricht, Maastricht, The Netherlands
- Sunrise / Sunset, Galerie Perrotin, Paris, France
2017
- Regard sur une collection, Musée National Eugène Delacroix, Paris, France
- Miroir Parlant, avec Lucien Petit, Hervé Rousseau et 6 céramiques japonaises traditionnelles, Centre céramique contemporaine, La Borne, France
- Ecce Homo, Geukens & De Vils, Antwerp, Belgium
- De nature en sculpture, Villa Datris, L'Isle-Sur-La-Sorgue, France
- Point quartz - Flower of Kent, Villa Arson, Nice, France
- Jardins, Grand Palais, Paris, France
- Between Earth and Heaven II, PAK, Bruges, Belgium
- The Beauty and the Beast, Château d'Ursel, Hingene, Belgium
2016
- Mir ist das Leben lieber. Sammlung Reydan Weiss, Museum fur Moderne Kunst, Weserburg, Germany
- CERAMIX. Art and ceramics from Rodin to Schütte, La Maison Rouge, Paris, France
2015
- Obsession, Maison particulière, Brussels, Belgium
- Mademoiselle Privé, by Chanel, Saatchi Gallery, London, UK
- CERAMIX. Art and ceramics from Rodin to Schütte,Bonnafantenmuseum, Maastricht, The Netherlands
- Glasstress Gotika, 56th International Art Exhibition - la Biennale di Venezia, Venice, Italy
- Berengo Foundation, Venice, Italy
- Vormidable. Contemporary Flemish Sculpture, Museum Beelden aan Zee, Den Haag, The Netherlands
- Paysage rêvés - fin de siècle, Musée de Cambrai, Cambrai, France
- Amours. tours & détours, Galerie nationale de la tapisserie, Beauvais, France
2014
- De Zee (The Sea), Mu.Zee, Ostend, Belgium
- Beating around the Bush Episode # 2, Bonnafantenmuseum, Maastricht, Netherlands
- Cet obscur objet de désirs : Autour de l'Origine du monde, Musée Gustave Courbet, Ornans, France
- Le Baiser Musée Maillol, Paris, France
2013
-Happy Birthday, 25 ans de la Galerie Perrotin, Tripostal, Lille, France
- FIAC hors les murs, Almine Rech Gallery, Jardin des Plantes, Paris, France
- Remake, Musée royal de Mariemont, Morlanweiz, Belgium
- Révélations. Le salon des métiers d'art et de la création, Grand Palais, Paris, France
- Terra Arte - Projektes, Zigelei Hundisburg, Hundisburg, Germany
- Sculptures 9 - Animal, Musée Despiau-Wlérick, Mont de Marsan, France
- The 7th Gyeonggi International Ceramic Biennale, Icheon CeraMIX Creative Center - Gyeonggi, South Korea
- Mon île de Montmajour, Abbaye de Montmajour, Arles, France
- Back to Earth - From Picasso to Ai Weiwei. Rediscovering ceramics in Art, Herbert Gerisch Foundation, Neumünster, Germany
- La Révolte et l'Ennui, la collection du FRAC Auvergne FRAC Auvergne, Clermont-Ferrand, France
-Château hanté, FRAC Auvergne, Domaine Royal de Randan, Randan, France
-Tresses 13. dés-tresse et déclacet treize, Maison des tresses et lacets, La Terrasse-sur-Dorlay, France
2012
- Des Fleurs en Hiver, Musée National Eugène Delacroix, Paris, France
- La Belle & la Bête, Institut Culturel Bernard Magrez, Bordeaux, France
- Group Show, Galerie Perrotin, Paris, France
- Group Show, Galerie Transit, Mechelen, Belgium
- Beauté animale, de Dürer à Jeff Koons, Galeries Nationales du Grand Palais, Paris, France
- Festival International d'Art Contemporain Ap'Art, Les Alpilles, France
- Musée Imaginaire du Moyen Age, Château de Tarascon, France
2011-2012
- Bêtes off, Conciergerie, Paris, France
- Tour de France/Florida - Artist from France in FLorida's private collections, Institut Français and the French Consulate, The Frost Museum, Miami, USA
2011
- Pearls of North , On a pas perdu le nord, Palais d'Iéna, Paris, France
- Louvre à Bethune, Béthune 2011 - Capitale régionale de la culture, Béthune, France.
- Intérieurs, L'art de vivre avec l'art, Artcurial, Hôtel Dassault, Paris, France
- Scène Belge, Hippocrene Foundation, Paris, France
- Bestes, bestiaux et bestioles (Genèse), Château de Oiron, France
- Big Brother, l'artiste face aux tyrans, Palais des Arts et du festival de Dinard, France
2010
- Beyond Limits, a selling exhibition of modern and contemporary sculpture, Sotheby's, Chatsworth Castle, Derbyshire, UK
- Circuit Céramique : la scène française contemporaine, Musée des Arts décoratifs, Paris, France
- Liefde voor het boek, Hasselt, Belgium
- Between the Sacred and the Profane, CIAP, Hasselt, Belgium
- Sèvres, Porcelaines Contemporaines, Musée de l'Ermitage, Palais Menchikov, Saint Petersburg, Russia
- Château de Rambouillet, France
- Who is afraid of the Museum? Museum Hof van Busleyden Mechelen, Belgium
- Olbricht Collection, Essen & Berlin, Germany
- New Monuments Middelheimmuseum, Anvers, Belgium
- Coup de ville en chambre d'amis Tentoonstellingsproject , Sint-Niklaas, Belgium
- Weizijwijzei, Landart, Flandres, Belgium
- Manifestation d’art contemporain, Centre culturel français, Yaoundé, Cameroon
- Métissages à Rochefort : Rencontre entre un artiste et une technique textile, Rochefort, France
2009
- New Love Princessehof Museum of Ceramics, Leeuwarden, The Netherlands
- Feux continus Manufacture Nationale de Sèvres, Grand Hornu, Belgium
- La Conquista della Modernità, 1920-2008, Musei Capitolini, Rome, Italy
- Flower Power, Villa Giulia, Verbania, Italy
- Silencio, Johan Creten - Paolo Grassino - Sarkis, Eglise Saint Jean, Le Monastier organized by Fonds Régional D'Art Contemporain Auvergne, France
2008
- Grandeur, Curator Anna Tilroe, Sonsbeek, The Netherlands
- Sand: Memory, Meaning and Metaphor, The Parrish Art Museum, Southampton, NY, USA
- La dégelée Rabelais, la Dive Bouteille, Trich, Château de Jau, Fonds régional d'art contemporain, Languedoc-Rousillon, France
2007
- Intrusions, Petit Palais, Paris, France
- Dialogues Mediterraneens, Saint-Tropez, France
2006
- From Arp to Bourgeois, Wallace Collection, London, UK
- Céramique Fiction, Musée des Beaux Arts, Rouen, France
2005
- Contrepoint 2, Musée du Louvre, Paris, France
2004
- Because the earth is 1/3 dirt, C.U. Art Museum, Bolder, Colorado, USA
- Métissages, MACO, Oaxaca, Mexico
2003
- Fragile, Musée des Beaux-Arts, Reims, France
2002
- The Erotic Life of Clay: Sex Pots, Fine Arts Gallery, San Francisco state University, San Francisco, USA
- Beyond the Male Pale, J.M. Kohler Arts Center, Wisconsin, USA
2001
- Water on paper, CIAP, Hasselt, Belgium
2000
- Confrontational Clay, the artist as Social Critic, traveling show, USA
- Gardens of Pleasure, John Michael Kolher Arts Center, Sheboygan, Wisconsin, USA
1999
- Garten der Flora, Museum Kloster Unser Lieben Frauen, Magdeburg, Germany
1997
- 5th International Istanbul Biennal, Yerebatan Cistern, Istanbul, Turkey
- Sables brulants, Museum Beelden aan Zee, Scheveningen, The Netherlands
- Retour d’Italie, Musée des Arts Décoratifs, Palais du Louvre, Paris, France
- L’exposition informelle, Frac Auvergne, Clermont-Ferrand, France
1996
- Masculine Measures, John Michael Kolher Arts Center, Sheboygan, Wisconsin, USA
1995
- Fémininmasculin, Centre national d’art et de culture Georges Pompidou, Paris, France
1991
- Incrustaties, Picaron Editions, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
public collections
- Bonnafantenmuseum, Maastricht, Netherlands
- Bass Museum of Art, Miami Beach, Florida, USA
- Kohler Foundation, Wisconsin, USA
- FRAC Languedoc-Roussillon, France
- FRAC Pays de la Loire, France
- FRAC Auverge, France
- Fonds Municipal d’Art Contemporain, Paris, France
- Provincial Museum voor Moderne kunst, Oostende, Belgium
- Collection du Ministère de la communauté Flamande de Belgique
- Collection de la province du Brabant Flamand de Belgique
- Museum Kloster Unser Lieben Frauen, Magdeburg, Germany
- Olbricht Collection, Berlin, Germany
- Taylor New Orleans Museum of Art, USA
