The Project

The meeting between Elina Belou, ceramist, and Laure Jaffuel, designer, materializes around a common reflection on the production of handcrafted objects. They sign their first collaboration at the Atelier du Faire, during their residency at the Fondation d’entreprise Martell, in order to research, develop and manufacture, not only an object or a series of objects, but a complete production system, produced by hand.

The project explores ceramics on the scale of space, as an architectural material, horizontal or vertical surface, by creating a series of earthenware tiles. The project puts the raw material and its transformation at the heart of the research using the natural colors of the earths and oxide enamels. The research tries to make the most of the material, the scraps and the production methods by randomly creating the patterns, the cuts and the shapes created by the gesture.

Starting from the production of a reproducible unit, the different variations of tiles are all unique, both sculptural and functional. They can be arranged according to a precise system but with infinite composition possibilities. Thus, the collection promotes artisanal and serial handcrafted production made of unique pieces and small series.

Laure Jaffuel 

Laure Jaffuel (1987) is a french independent designer and art director. She has a master degree in Object Design from the Ecole Nationale des Arts Décoratifs (ENSAD,Paris) and from the Sandberg Institute (Amsterdam). She completed her cursus in the USA, at the University of Cincinnati and in several design agencies in New York City.

Interested in the context where her work finds itself, she emphasises on the design and the construction of situations surrounding her objects. She produces spaces, events, situations, sound pieces, objects, parties, scenographies, where diverse disciplines merge to celebrate the productive energy of the group, engaging a dialogue with other artists, designers, DJs, architects, etc. In her work, she particularly values an artisanal and local production with craftsmen, know-how and materials that are in her immediate environment.

Elina Belou
Elina Belou (1988) is a ceramist and photographer, she graduated from Maison de la Céramique de Dieulefit (France) and La Cambre (Belgium).
Her work is inspired by archaic and archetypal forms that she gleans over time.
These are often utilitarian forms: they are part of a common memory, of a universal language.
With an almost anthropomorphic approach, she “dresses” her vases with herbs, gold, dried petals, and other treasures that interact with the enamel. Then, like a choreographer placing bodies in space, she creates installations conceived as still lifes or poetic strolls.