Milena Violette

Trained at EMA Cnifop in earthenware throwing and decoration, I focus my production on utilitarian and decorative objects.
Although most of my pieces are turned, I like to mix techniques and create hybrid objects. For example, I make boxes, freely inspired by antique pieces such as the Greek Pyxis, in which I turn the body and add modelled details, often of animals or plants. I like the technical demands of turning and the freedom that modelling brings. Combining the two allows me to add a dreamlike, poetic dimension to the objects I create.
Decoration has always played an important part in my approach to ceramics. Whether it's the work of contemporary craftsmen such as Roger Capron and Gustave Reynaud, or traditional pieces such as those from Susa or Iznik, I usually draw my inspiration from decorated ceramics.
Having worked as an illustrator before taking up ceramics, it was natural for me to focus my work on decoration. I like them to interact with the clay and glaze, to blend into the pieces and create effects of depth.
So it's important for me to think about shapes that lend themselves to motifs, such as plates or salad bowls, which are ideal supports for creating decorations.
Finally, I pay particular attention to the clay I work with, as this allows me to create a wide range of objects. Today, I use chamotte red sandstone, Saint-Amand sandstone and Fuilet clay, whose nuances I particularly like. I'm also experimenting with harvested clay, which I apply as an undercoat to simple glazes to create variations.