Solastalgia (n.f.): neologism coined by the philosopher Glenn Albrecht from the Latin solacium (comfort, relief) and the Greek suffix algie (pain). A form of psychic or existential distress caused by perceived changes in one’s environment.

Born 1990, lives and works in Marseille, France. Ceramist Léa Caïe creates functional objects and sculptures that focus on plants and our relationship with nature.

Her works are imbued with solastalgia, synthesizing our versatility in the face of ecological melancholy, between confidence in the future and despair, between faith and cynical sarcasm. Her “Toyos” are artistic sanctuaries for plant life, both preserving and enclosing it.