Wayne FISCHER

Born in 1954 and holding a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the University of Wisconsin, Wayne Fischer was awarded the 2012 Liliane Bettencourt Prize for the Intelligence of the Hand—which honors professionals in the arts and crafts—and was also awarded the Exceptional Talents Prize for his vase *Metamorphosis*.

This award recognizes the research he has been conducting since the 1970s ona technique unique to him that has never been replicated. Composed of three separately turned walls, his vases are the result of a complex shaping process that involves pushing the material outward to create distinctive bulges. The airbrushing of thin layers of iridescent glazes, along with meticulous sanding after firing, gives their surface a cracked, soft, and sensual appearance reminiscent of skin.

It is this striking resemblance to human skin that motivates him to continue his experiments: the artist is fascinated by the “hidden life energy” that emanates from it. This energy is rendered in all its raw, authentic brutality. Indeed, the temptation to caress these sensual surfaces is accompanied, at the same time, by a sense of unease in the face of these mysterious interiors—these abnormal yet captivating growths.