" My approach focuses on exploring the textures, materials, and nuances of clay rather than glaze. I explore hybrid formats, at the crossroads of utilitarian and sculptural. "
JUSTINE CORNUOT
JUSTINE CORNUOT
CERAMIST, Aubervilliers (93)
Justine shares her inspirations and challenges with us, as well as her values, centered on people and the environment.
Tell us your story, how did you find your calling?
It’s a sequence of 2 events:
The first was discovering the pottery a friend was making, which is how I found out it was possible to learn how to throw on the wheel :)
The second was a trip to Greece; upon seeing some antique ceramics in a museum, I told myself that I wanted to do that, and upon returning from my trip, I contacted every studio in Paris to find a spot. I very quickly realized that I could spend my days there :)
I thus began pottery wheel-throwing as a hobby before undergoing a one-year full-time training program to move toward a professional practice.
How would you describe your style and your artistic approach in a few words?
My artistic process finds its main inspiration in nature. My work is characterized by a playful exploration of assemblages, structures, as well as the shapes and spirals found in humans, rocks, and seashells. My approach focuses on exploring textures, materials, and the nuances of clay rather than glaze. I explore hybrid formats, at the boundary between the utilitarian and sculpture.
What themes or subjects inspire you the most in your work?
Humans, nature, rocks, shells, earths
How do you work?
I have a studio in Aubervilliers, where I practice both wheel throwing and hand-building.
I try to have the most ecological approach possible; my packaging is either bought new but recycled and recyclable, or reclaimed, much like a good number of the objects I use in my studio. I try to be very water-efficient in my practice. The clay I primarily use is a local, natural clay, and I am also careful about the raw materials I incorporate into my glaze, avoiding those whose extraction has too heavy a social or environmental impact. Of course, the practice of ceramics is not neutral for the environment because we use materials extracted from the ground and firing requires high energy consumption. It is good to be aware of this.
Tell us about your daily life, your constraints, your joys, your successes…
My daily life is anything but monotonous!
Between freelance projects that I still keep in my former field (digital), Wecandoo workshops once a month, weekly classes for adults with severe autism, my production, communications, admin, sales, and orders, my weeks are busy—but I love that no two days are the same and having great freedom in my schedule. I am still early in my practice, so I feel like I'm still in an exploration phase on every level. My current challenges: I haven't yet found my ideal sales model, I still haven't cracked the secret of Instagram and I don't like having to spend time there, and finally, I want to do and try everything all the time, so I need to stay focused and not spread myself too thin :)
