MEET THE ARTIST

EARTH BY NMP

"I've had several professional lives in various parts of the world [...], but always related to beauty and aesthetics. I fell into the world of ceramics after an internship [...]. It was a revelation."

Nathalie Pichardie - Terre by nmp

EARTH BY NMP

Ceramicist, Lons (64)

Nathalie tells us how, after "several professional lives," ceramics appeared to her as a revelation.

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Tell us your story, how did your vocation come to you?

I've had several professional lives in various parts of the world (Africa, Europe, and the Middle East), but always related to beauty and aesthetics. I fell in love with ceramics after a leisure workshop in my hometown. It was a revelation. I knew immediately that I wanted to make it my main occupation. At the time, I was an interior decorator—two complementary worlds that gradually intersected as I developed my practice.
I had the opportunity to attend several training courses in Paris and Bordeaux. But I mainly learned filmmaking at home, shooting for many hours a day for a year.
By repeating the process again and again, until the trick is mastered.
It seems that mastering the potter's wheel takes 10 years, so I'm still a long way from that. That's precisely what fascinates me most: learning every day about the many facets of ceramics.

How would you describe your style, your artistic approach, in a few words?

I want to create simple, useful everyday forms, without any frills. Color is very important in my ceramic work. My research into glazes is a long and emotionally rich process. Above all, I seek beauty and utility.

What themes or subjects inspire you most in your work?

I am passionate about decoration, which is also my profession. I draw my inspiration from exhibitions and museums, from magazines, from the trips I have been lucky enough to take around the world, and from nature, to which I am very close.

How do you work?

I work with smooth or slightly grogged clays that will allow the colored glaze to stand out. I layer the glazes, testing different colors depending on the minerals and oxides.
My small workshop, under the eaves of my house, brings me comfort and peace.
I am still looking to move to a larger and more practical workshop where I can store my parts more easily.

Tell us about your daily life, your constraints, your joys, your successes…

I live and work in a house very close to nature, surrounded by my animals, who are with me every day.
My latest joy is being part of the ceramic artists' collective, Minuit Céramique. I am very proud to be among these artisans, all of whom are different and all very talented.

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