EBPC Potter Profiles |
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Terre en Vadrouille
By Laurence Larroude & Gilles Kaczmarek
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Laurence Larroude & Gilles Kaczmarek
These talented artists come from Marseille in the south of France, and have almost 50 combined years’ ceramics experience. The couple produce quality handmade bonsai pots, mostly for mame and shohin, in a variety of interesting glazes and painted styles.
Gilles learnt to work with ceramics in the 1980s. He studied with ceramist Jean Bersoux and took Raku lessons in Northern France. He later trained himself with the help of the two ceramist bibles: “Le livre du potier” and “Terre et glaçures”. Gilles has since been practicing RAKU WARE for 20 years and is especially fond of the Mingei movement.
Laurence also has always felt drawn to Asian culture, tea and ceramics. She grew up in a very artistic background, with painting, drawing, writing and ceramics having played a key role in her family. This passion for Asia, combined with her Occidental culture, led her to create their very popular decorated bonsai pots.
As both were inspired by Korean and Japanese ceramics, the couple first started to create Chawan 茶碗 (bowls) and Chaire 茶入 (caddy’s) for the tea ceremony. It was this common passion which led them to give birth to Terre en Vadrouille.
‘As well as MAME and SHOHIN pots, we also keep producing tea bowls which we think is the most magical ceramic item to manufacture and which allows us to maintain the relationship we have created with ceramics and tea lovers who are not all drawn to the bonsai world. Since this summer, we have been working on the KINTSUGI technique, adapting it to the bonsai pot. While we were looking for a cheaper material than gold for pot repairing, we discovered that bronze was particularly appropriate for this technique, and we then naturally started producing a small number of repaired pots and Tempai (bronze accent figures).’
In 2012, they met Robert Boulard, a specialist of mame-figuier and discovered the world of bonsai. Both curious and captivated by this art coming from Asia and motivated by their will to learn and understand more, they turned to the creation of mame and shohin pots.
With this new adventure and thanks to the guidance of their friend, they have been able to integrate the bonsai circle in Southern FRANCE and their work is now sought after across Europe.
Their bonsai pots are made of stoneware or porcelain and are fired to high temperatures, so are frost-resistant. All pots are handmade, with most made, enamelled and fired by Gilles, and then decorated by Laurence, although sometimes roles are switched!
On Facebook, you can find them under the name ‘Mikado Delagrotte’.
Contact EBPC
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: www.EuropeanBonsaiPotterCollective.com
www.terreenvadrouille.blogspot.com
Commissions can be requested through us here.
Potter Showcase
Terre en Vadrouille
Some examples of past works from Terre en Vadrouille
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The ‘European Bonsai Potter Collective’ is brought to you by Alex Rudd – www.EuropeanBonsaiPotterCollective.Com
Terre en Vadrouille are member potters and their works will regularly be available for sale in the EBPC Shop
Terre en Vadrouille are member potters and their works will regularly be available for sale in the EBPC Shop
