Born in 1963 in Sint-Truiden, Belgium
Lives and works in Paris, France
Johan Creten has been working on the move for twenty-five years, from Mexico to Rome, from Miami to Amsterdam, and most recently to Paris. He started working with clay in the late 1980s, when the medium was still seen as taboo in the art world: earth was deemed dirty and damp, while the creator was viewed as a usurper of God, transgressing religious interdicts. Yet clay represents the “Earth Mother,” linking the sacred to the profane. Creten is one of the earliest exponents of using clay in the context of contemporary art and is considered, alongside Thomas Schütte and Lucio Fontana, to be a pioneer in the revival of modern ceramics, who continues to influence the next generation of artists.
education
2013
- Resident at Randall International Chair, School of Art and Design and the Division of Ceramic Art, Alfred University, NY State, USA
2008
- Resident at European Ceramic Center (ERWC), Den Bosch, Netherlands
2006/07
- Professor at Ecole des Beaux-Arts, Rouen, France
2005
- Invited Professor at Alfred University, New York, New York State, USA
2004/07
- Artist in residence at Manufacture Nationale de Sèvres, Paris, France
2001/03
- Artist in residence at Bass Museum of Art, Miami Beach, USA
2001
- Invited Professor at CCA, Oakland, California, USA
2000
- Invited Professor at Arizona State University in Tempe, Arizona, USA
1998
- Artist in residence at Artesanarte foundation, Villa Garcia, Monterrey, Mexico
1996/97
- Rome Prize, resident at Villa Medicis, Rome, Italy
1995
- Artist in residence at Kohler foundation, Sheboygan, Wisconsin, USA
1994
- Artist in residence at EKWC, Den Bosch, Netherlands
- Artist in residence at Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Clermont-Ferrand, France
1993
- Artist in residence at Villa Arson, Nice, France
1991
- Course at Rijksacadémie in Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Artist in residence at Villa Sainte-Claire, Sète, France
1988
- Sculpture class at Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Paris, France
1986
- Painting class at Academie des Beaux-Arts in Gand, Belgium
solo shows
Upcoming 2020
I Peccati, Villa Medicis, Rome, Italy
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, the USA
2017
- Between Day and Dream, Pilevneli Gallery, Istanbul
- 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
2014
- The Storm, Musée Middelheim, Sculpture Park, Anvers, Belgium
- Gulden Snede, Galerie Transit, Mechelen, Belgique
- 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
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, Pays Bas
- 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, Holland
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, Belgique
- 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
2019
- Kunst in Puurs (K.I.P) - Puurs, Belgium
- The Gulf Between. About Black, White and everything in between - De Warande, Belgique
- Anima / Animals - Fondation Villa Datris, L'isle-sur-la-sorgue, France
- The Vivisector, Pilevneli Gallery, Istanbul, Turkey
- Formes Vivantes, Musée Adrien Dubouché, Limoges, 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
2017
- Regard sur une collection, Musée 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, United Kingdom
- CERAMIX. Art and ceramics from Rodin to Schütte,Bonnafantenmuseum, Maastricht, Netherlands ;
- Glasstress Gotika, 56th International Art Exhibition - la Biennale di Venezia
Berengo Foundation, Venice, Italy
- Vormidable. Contemporary Flemish Sculpture, Museum Beelden aan Zee, Den Haag, 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
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, Corée du Sud
- 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 Delacroix, Paris, France
- La Belle & la Bête, Institut Culturel Bernard Magrez, Bordeaux, France
- Group Show, Galerie Perrotin, Paris
- 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 Petersbourg, Russie
- 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, Cameroun
- Métissages à Rochefort : Rencontre entre un artiste et une technique textile, Rochefort
2009
- New Love Princessehof Museum of Ceramics, Leeuwarden, Netherlands
- Feux continus Manufacture Nationale de Sèvres, Grand Hornu, Belgique
- 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
2008
- Grandeur, Curator Anna Tilroe, Sonsbeek, Pays Bas
- 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
- Dialogues Mediterraneens, Saint-Tropez, France
2006
- From Arp to Bourgeois, Wallace Collection, London, England
- 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, Pays-Bas
- 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, Pays-Bas
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
