Miss Clara

I was in Les Trois Hiboux children's bookshop about a week ago, looking for a present for The Nephew™, when I stumbled upon a little art exhibit by Miss Clara.  She has two books coming out— La Petite Poule Rousse (The Little Red Hen) and Trois Petits Cochons (Three Little Pigs), both published by Éditions Scarabéa.  

On display were a dozen or so shadow boxes (boîtes vitrines) peopled with small, exquisitely crafted characters out of her picture books—pigs, chicken, geese and the like.  Made with layers of thin paper and fine silk upon an under-structure of wire, they also include found objects (buttons, discarded hardware, feathers...) and collaged backgrounds of book pages and old wallpaper. 

Out of such prosaic and discarded materials, she creates a tiny dream world of poetry and magic.

Miss Clara worked as a graphic designer for nine years before she began creating her dioramas and collages.  Her work can now be seen in magazines, books and art galleries. Some are even available as paper goods from La Marelle.  Her home town is Bordeaux, where she still lives and works.

PS. To read more about Miss Clara and her enchanting world, click here.