Sometimes, finding one’s artistic voice can take a little time. We surely need to gain experience before our passion one day becomes self-evident.
This is exactly what happened to Claude, a resident of Cazères for 35 years, who officially set up her studio, Terre et Pierre, in her home in 2018. Ceramics came into her life quite recently, by chance. Yet things have moved quickly, as she is now recognised in her field, even though her first training in pottery dates back only to 2012 (throwing and modelling on earthenware with Florence Fohrer at the Figuline workshop in Cazères-sur-Garonne).
Although she has continued her training since 2015 with Chantal Brillet, it was the purchase of a kiln that same year that enabled her to make a name for herself today by producing accomplished and inspired works.
For it is precisely her experiences that often serve as the source of her inspiration. Accompanied by her husband, Claude spent over a decade in Iraq and Egypt, and this is evident in her work. The Middle East is reflected in her pieces. With a passion for cuneiform writing, she often adorns her pieces with unique messages. Another distinctive feature of the studio’s ceramics is the use of cylinder seals in the creative process. These small cylindrical pieces, used in antiquity, bear a unique pattern corresponding to their owner, allowing for the reproduction of a frieze that can be extended indefinitely. Claude has managed to acquire some magnificent, original and fascinating pieces to use in her modelling work – a piece of history that lives on through time thanks to her.
Whether they are vases, boxes or pencil cases… Each piece is unique, with a distinctive texture and sheen, and adorned with a found stone, sourced from the very place that inspired Claude. The quality of the enamel is a key aspect of her work; it often undergoes numerous tests to achieve exceptional shades.
Today, Claude works to order and exhibits her work far and wide; she has had the opportunity to exhibit in Toulouse, Martres-Tolosane and the Val d’Oise… Above all, she has joined the Al Caz’Arts artists’ collective, which includes painters, actors, sculptors, dancers, potters, musicians, photographers and clowns… Throughout the year, they organise demonstrations and exhibitions that give artists the opportunity to showcase their works and creations.