Inside the Studio: Augustin Philemon
- Art Dealer Street
- Nov 3
- 4 min read
Some sculptures whisper; Augustin Philemon’s spark curiosity on contact. A self-taught artist working across clay, acrylic, and found materials, Augustin blends abstraction and surrealism to open space for reflection. His pieces don’t hand you answers—they invite you to look closer, question assumptions, and sit with the unknown. Form meets feeling, chance meets control, and identity is treated as something in motion rather than fixed. Having showcased with Clio Art Fair, he continues to build a practice shaped by rigorous thought, playful experimentation, and an insistence on wonder.
Read on to learn more in an exclusive interview with Augustin Philemon :
1. You’ve said your sculptures are designed to spark curiosity and “open up space for reflection.” What personal experiences led you to value curiosity as the core of your practice?
The personal experience that led me to value curiosity as the core of my practice mostly comes from being a loner. For a long period in my life, my mind was not constantly being stimulated by outside factors; it really led me down a rabbit hole as to why things are the way they are. I didn’t go out socially much, so it was really just me, my art, and my mind.
2. You’re self-taught and work with clay, acrylic, and assembled materials, balancing abstraction and surrealism. Can you walk us through your process—from first impulse to finished sculpture?
The processes I use to achieve the balance of abstraction and surrealism are totally dependent on whether I have a concept in mind already. To start, I either browse Tumblr, Amazon, or thrift shops to find an object that sparks my creativity. From there, I can put together a whole story based on that object. If I can’t find an object I really connect with, I just start playing around with random things I find until I get that spark of inspiration.
3. Transformation and identity are recurring themes. How did works like “Escaping Prism pt. II” crystallize your thinking about change, liberation, and self-reinvention?
Escaping Prism pt. II crystallized my thinking about change, liberation, and self-reinvention by giving me clarity that you can always change anything about yourself whenever you feel like your attitude or mentality is holding you back from becoming the best version of yourself. You honestly have to be very critical of yourself.
4. Your statement resists easy answers, inviting slow looking and open interpretations. What do you hope viewers feel in those first few seconds with your sculptures?
In the first few seconds with my sculptures, I hope viewers feel like their eyes just got slapped. So it makes them think about why and what is giving them that reaction. It’s just like if a stranger slapped a person—the person would be curious as to why they got slapped. That would cause them to think deeper about what they did, like if they accidentally hit the person without being aware, or maybe they said something offensive and forgot they said it. That’s the feeling I want viewers to have when viewing my work—feeling curious.
5. You’ve described a childhood of “distance” turning into a source of strength. How does that early sense of apartness shape the forms, textures, or rhythms of your current work?
That early sense of apartness helped shape my work by allowing me to be more rigorous in my train of thought. It made me very detail-oriented.
6. Your pieces often assemble disparate materials into a unified language. How do you decide which materials to combine, and how do you keep chance and control in balance?
Honestly, I do not put much thought into which materials I’m combining; it just has to have that feeling of “oh, this works,” and it has to go with my flow. If the material is too heavy, I find a way to make it fit or I find a substitute. I keep chance and control in balance by doing several tests to see if my sculpture can support whatever materials I am working with—like shaking it, or putting it in a certain position—and whether it can stay still for long periods of time without support from other materials.
7. You’ve showcased with Clio Art Fair before. What were the most memorable moments or responses from that experience, and how—if at all—did it shift your thinking, process, or goals going forward?
The most memorable experiences were people pointing out details in my sculptures that I didn’t even notice, and that’s what I love about art. Everyone can have a different interpretation of what a piece means; there is no right or wrong answer—purely subjective. The fair did not really shift my thinking. Getting advice from artists who exhibited before was special; they told me to keep my head up and keep creating no matter what happens.
8. What’s next—any upcoming series, public installations, or experiments you’re excited to share? How do you see your practice evolving over the next year?
I have a new project coming out around the same time this interview drops. I see my practice evolving more as I stray away from working with clay and just experiment more with other materials that catch my eye. Also, being inspired by literally anything—keeping an open mind.
What stands out in Augustin’s practice is how honest the work feels. Nothing is over-explained. He lets odd materials sit together, lets instinct lead, and trusts the viewer to meet the piece halfway. That’s why curiosity is so central for him: it’s the bridge between his solitary making and the public encounter. At Clio Art Fair, that played out beautifully—viewers noticed details he hadn’t planned, proof that good work keeps talking after the artist stops. As he moves into a phase of freer material experimentation, one thing stays constant: the invitation to look again.
You can learn more about Augustin Philemon and his work via these links:
Website: @Augustin Philemon
Instagram: @augustphil Cohart: @Augustin Philemon
Arsty: @Augustin Philemon
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