Marcel the Cat: The Art of Capturing the Feline Moment

Céline Chourlet has always had a special connection with nature. Cats have naturally found their place in her life and her studio, becoming companions in her creative process and sources of inspiration. “Cats are my loyal collaborators, my studio assistants, very respectful, and always interested, dare I say, in the creative process.”

From this bond was born an iconic work: Marcel. Inspired by a real cat that had taken Céline Chourlet and her daughter Victoria under its wing in a small village in the Var region, this sculpture embodies the animal’s gentleness and generosity.

“It was obvious that it would be a cat, and that it would be named Marcel in homage to that very special cat.” With his rounded forms and benevolent expression, Marcel has established himself as an indispensable figure, a character in his own right. We then set out to introduce him to everyone to exhibit him, photograph him, and weave hundreds of stories around him, like gentle nursery rhymes: ‘Marcel at the Beach,’ ‘Marcel on Vacation,’ ‘Marcel Is in Love,’ ‘Marcel in Paris’…"

But Marcel isn’t confined to the studio, he travels. “The journey can be long, especially for the very tall Marcel, when he sets sail for New Caledonia or even Costa Rica.”

For Céline Chourlet, cats with their quiet presence and natural grace are an inexhaustible source of peace and emotion. “Cats, with their divine grace and enveloping silence, bring me the infinite joy of their presence every day.” And so, Marcel, sculpture and messenger continues to travel the world, carrying within him a fragment of imagination and escape.

Where can you see Marcel the Cat?

Pont-Aven Gallery: 16 Place Julia, 29100 Pont-Aven, Finistère

Saint-Paul-de-Vence Gallery: 5 Rue Grande, 06570 Saint-Paul-de-Vence, Côte d'Azur

Hôtel Hermitage - Monaco