Marie-Anne Briskmann

Continuing her practice of engraving and painting, Marie-Anne Briskmann has found in ceramics a new, sensitive language in which to model her "curiosities". Her subjects—contemporary talismans, lucky charms, paws, heads, wolves and rabbits, "inhabited garments", messenger doilies, imaginary herbariums—possessing a feigned ingenuity, combine the carefree spirit of childhood and its sometimes frightening tales with an awareness of vanities.

Imperfections and accidents in the material form scars to be caressed.

The small subjects are modeled one by one (they are unique pieces) in Puisaye stoneware or porcelain. They then dry for a month and are fired for the first time. A second firing at a high temperature (1260 degrees Celsius) is carried out after hand-painted decoration and individual glazing. This allows the stoneware to vitrify throughout, making it waterproof and refined.