After choosing the pieces on paper, I start to make the first prototypes in my studio. Depending on the shape of the drawing, I will experiment with different production techniques. The Glove-Vase for example is a piece that I stamp and then sculpt afterwards, the laundry bottles are made by pouring liquid clay into a mould. Some of my designs are also produced by attaching turned and moulded pieces together, like the Ears-Vase. The base is turned and the ears are stamped in a mould. This is a combination I really enjoy because it mixes the classical craft of throwing clay with an almost industrial aesthetic of moulded or pressed plastic.

For the moulds I use standard casting plaster and for the glazes I prefer to use lead-free options. All the clay I use comes from the region around my studio in the South of France and the firing is done in an old kiln my father bought second-hand 20 years ago – it is still going strong. Just recently, I also bought a smaller kiln to make my prototypes and glaze tests. I use both of them at 1020°C for the earthenware and 980°C for the glaze.

After I finished all the prototypes of my first collection, I realised how my previous experience in fashion taught me to create an overview of a collection and how to develop an idea into a fully finished piece. This skill allowed me to naturally transform my first attempts at ceramics into a cohesive group of objects. After I finished photographing my first collection, I realised that I had created a universe where each stand-alone piece could also work together in a series. This is a challenge that I really enjoyed in fashion, and it was amazing to feel I could find the same excitement in working with ceramics.

Now my mission is to try and push the boundaries of this universe with my new collection. It would be a dream to eventually expand my work with pieces that extend the limits of clay. Wood, metal and glass are all material that I would love to be able to experiment with one day.

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68 September/October 2022