water tight ceramic – not cardboard – cool minimalist ceramic

at first glance, you’d be forgiven for thinking that if any of jacques monneraud’s vessels were filled with water, they’d soak right through and split at the seams. and that’s exactly what the artist wants you to think! incredibly, these vessels are made of clay.

monneraud’s pieces appear lightweight and almost haphazard as if repurposed quickly from corrugated cardboard. of course, only meticulous attention to detail could result in such fantastic visual trickery. “i really liked the idea of being able to freeze fragility,” he tells colossal.

the artist began working with ceramics only three years ago, establishing a studio in southwest france where he continues to experiment and expand upon his love for the medium. his new interest developed almost by chance, following something of a creative drought. he says:

what a cool clay teapot – in unglazed clay

i started as a graphic designer/illustrator and quickly became a creative director in an advertising company. during those years, i gradually drifted away from what i loved to do in the first place, which was creating. as someone who grew up in a family of artists and makers, i always pictured myself working with my hands someday. but here i was, spending hours in meetings discussing brand strategies. when i realized that, i decided that it was time to give this dream a try. after a few months searching for this “maker job,” i stumbled upon a video of someone working at the potter’s wheel. i was instantly hooked.

monneraud immediately booked a workshop to learn the basics, and a few weeks later, he quit his job to pursue pottery full-time. through the inherent process of trial and error, he learned and grew from failure. “i was unsuccessfully trying to obtain a specific glaze effect that i love, so i started thinking about a ‘raw collection’ made of unglazed pieces,” he says. read more at colossal. by ty