Claire Oboussier
Born in London in 1963, Claire Oboussier was placed in care at birth and subsequently adopted by her parents, an architect and a musician. Brought up in Devon, Oboussier went on to study French in the School of African and Asian Studies at the University of Sussex, graduating in 1986. She met and married Vong Phaophanit during a year studying in Paris in 1985. In 1991 Oboussier was awarded the Dyment and Thomas Scholarship for Doctoral Research in the Arts and Humanities at the University of Bristol where she taught French Feminist Literature and Theory and set up and ran the Interdisciplinary Critical Theory seminar for faculty. Her doctoral thesis was on French critical theory in the visual field. Completed in 1994, it explored the poetic and theoretical intersections of the visual and verbal realms.
Alongside her academic and critical writing Oboussier maintained a studio practice using a range of media from the written/spoken word to film, sound and sculptural elements. From 1998-2002 she was a member of the Executive Committee for the pioneering magazine MAKE which provided a platform for under-represented women’s art practice, subsequently becoming an editorial advisor. During these years she also worked experimentally with digital images and sounds from prisons for a multi-screen installation entitled ‘Doing Time’. Oboussier has been an invited speaker at symposia internationally and also written extensively on, and in parallel with, Phaophanit’s work, collaborating with him on the film ‘All that’s solid melts into air (Karl Marx)’ and the book ‘Atopia’ for which she wrote the text.
Throughout her early career Oboussier maintained a close creative dialogue with Phaophanit and they frequently collaborated on projects together. From the late 1990s the duo began the process of formally unifying their practices and went on to create their current shared studio.
C.V
Born: 1963, London.
Lives and works in London, UK.
Education
1990-1995
PhD, French critical theory in the visual field/Philosophy, University of Bristol, UK.
1991-1995
Dyment and Thomas Scholarship for Doctoral Research in the Arts and Humanities, University of Bristol, UK.
1981-1985
BA. Hons, French Literature/cultural theory in the School of African and Asian Studies, University of Sussex, UK.
COLLABORATIVE PRACTICE with Vong Phaophanit
Selected Commissions, Exhibitions and Projects
2026
Small Wonders: Reimagining British Art, Hayward Gallery Touring Exhibition
2025–26
Eidolon, National Gallery Singapore
2025
Tropic of Perception, Ames Yavuz Gallery, Singapore
2021
Borderless, Cleveland Clinic HQ, London
The Call of Things, Fen Court, London
2020
Unauthorised Medium, Framer Framed Gallery, Amsterdam
2019–20
Counter Acts, Lethaby Gallery, Central Saint Martins, London
2019
Never Real Historians, Always Near Poets, Singapore Biennale, National Gallery Singapore
2018
In Other Words, Cambridge University Press Building, Cambridge, UK
Gilding the Border, Thailand Biennale, Krabi, Thailand
2017
Dream House, Toronto, Canada
2016
IT IS AS IF, Block 336 Gallery, London
2014
Line, Walmar House, London
2013
Red Fringe, Cambridge, UK
2012
Light Veils, Weymouth Esplanade, UK
Mute Meadow, Derry~Londonderry
Coronium, Kristiansand, Norway
2011
Mute Meadow, Derry/Londonderry
2010
Outside In, SW1 Gallery, London
Light of Day, St. George’s Hospital, London
2009
The Tropics, Cape Town / Berlin
Light Curtain, Hull Truck Theatre, Hull
2008
All the World is Two, Bristol
All that’s solid melts into air (Karl Marx), Tate Britain
2007
Topography of Dreams, Birmingham
The Quiet in the Land, Luang Prabang
2006
The Quiet in the Land, Luang Prabang
Life Lines, Southend-on-Sea
2005–06
The Animators touring exhibition
— Angel Row Gallery, Nottingham
— SPACEX Gallery, Exeter
— Ferens Art Gallery, Hull
2005
Bay Windows, Canterbury
Life Lines, Southend-on-Sea
2004
Outhouse, Liverpool
2003
Atopia, Berlin
Pipe Dream, London
2000
SCAN, Jerwood Space / Hayward Gallery / European venues
WRITING, DRAWING AND CRITICAL PRACTICE (1986–2000)
Sustained writing practice developed in parallel with studio activity, moving from early studio-based research to published critical and creative catalogue texts and later doctoral-level theoretical research in visual culture and critical theory. This work developed in close dialogue with evolving collaborative practice with Vong Phaophanit and contributed to the conceptual foundations of the later unified practice. Her practice combined drawing, writing, teaching, and interdisciplinary studio work across text, sound, and moving image, and maintained a sustained engagement with French feminist and critical theory in relation to visual culture.
FELLOWSHIPS, RESEARCH AND TEACHING
Dyment and Thomas Fellowship (3 years)
Doctoral research (PhD awarded 1994), University of Bristol
Tutor in French Feminist Literature and Critical Theory, University of Bristol
Founded the Interdisciplinary Critical Theory Seminar for Faculty, University of Bristol
Panels
2006
Panel member for Birmingham City Hospital new art commissions.
2002-2002
Editorial advisor for MAKE magazine.
1998-2002
Member of Executive Committee for MAKE.
Publications / Catalogue Essays
2016
ArtAsiaPacific Almanac 2016
Catherine Wilon
(http://artasiapacific.com/Magazine/Almanac2016/Laos)
2015
Art Monthly: Issue 387 (June 2015) – ‘Vong Phaophanit and Claire Oboussier: IT IS AS IF’
David Barrett
(http://www.artmonthly.co.uk/magazine/site/issue/june-2015)
(https://reader.exacteditions.com/issues/42845/page/32)
2012
Mute Meadow
http://forecastpublicart.org/public-art-review/current-projects/2012/11/mute-meadow-2/
2010
Exploring Site-specific Art: Issues of Space and Internationalism
Judith Rugg, I.B. Taurus, 2010
(ISBN: 9781848850644)
Art and Asia Pacific Almanac, Volume 5
ArtAsiaPacific Publishing LLC, 2010
2009
The Quiet In The Land (Publication)
France Morin and John Alan Farmer
The Quiet In The Land Inc. 2009
http://www.thequietintheland.org/
2008
The Tropics: Views from the Middle of the Globe
Goethe-institut / Kerber Art. Berlin, Germany.
2007
Thermocline of art: new Asian waves
Peter Weibel, Gregor Jansen, Museum für Neue Kunst (Karlsruhe, Germany)
ZKM, Center for Art and Media
2006
Sparks – Make it real
InSite Arts Ltd.
(ISBN: 0-9547300-3-8)
The Animators
Angela Kingston
Angel Row Gallery, Nottingham, 2006
(ISBN: 0-905634-76-4)
2003
Atopia
Vong Phaophanit & Claire Oboussier
DAAD Publications, Berlin, Germany.
Sculpture in 20th Century Britain: A guide to sculptors in the Leeds collections
Volume 2 of Sculpture in 20th Century Britain
Penelope Curtis
Henry Moore Institute
‘Vong Phaophanit’ in ’20th Century British Sculpture’
Henry Moore Institute Publications, Leeds, UK.
2002
‘Vong Phaophanit’ in ‘Transmission: Speaking and Listening’
Sheffield Hallam University.
2001
In between
Wimbledon School of Art Publications, London, UK.
1999
To truly see something we must forget its name
The Third Asia Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art
Queensland Art Gallery Publications, Australia.
Beyond the future: the third Asia-Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art
Queensland Art Gallery, Australia
(ISBN: 1876509668)
1998
Atopia
South Bank Publications, London, UK.
1997
Ash and Silk Wall
Public Art Development Trust Publications, London, UK.
1995
Synaesthesia
WIF Publications.
From Light
Chambers Publications, Bristol, UK.
Things are the secret folds of my flesh
De Appel Publications, Amsterdam, Holland.
1994
Synaesthetic Writing
Nottingham French Studies, vol 33, no.2, (Autumn).
1990
What falls to the ground but can’t be eaten
Chisenhale Gallery, London, UK.
Teaching / Lectures / Symposia
2013
International Symposium, Oslo, Norway: Art in Public Space: A Critical Perspective
2012
OCAD – Ontario College of Art and Design: The Making of Sense
The Rosewell Lecture: What do artists have to give?
Sussex University Art Lectures: The Making of Sense
2011
Imperial War Museum: ‘Post-Conflict’ Culture: Derry ~ Londonderry
2009
RSA – Royal Society of Arts: The Place of Art
Royal Academy Lectures: Sculpture and Architecture: The Contest to Control Space and Meaning
1995
Chair: International Symposium, University of Bristol: Roland Barthes and the Visual World.
1991-1994
Tutor at University of Bristol, Department of French.
Founded the Interdisciplinary Critical Theory seminar for faculty at The University of Bristol.