A constant search for balance

Myriam Bouchard has been focused on ceramics for ten years. She was formerly a graphic designer for twenty years, during which time she collected ceramic pieces with passion. She made it her craft by attending many ceramic workshops in France, the United States and Quebec.

Myriam loves the contact with the clay; this medium of infinite possibilities is the one that is closest to her sensibility. Initially focused on ceramics for the table made on the wheel, her work has taken a more sculptural turn for the last five years. She works with different types of firing: wood, gas and electric.

"I like the surprise when I open the kiln, especially when I work with reduction of the oxygen (in  wood and gas kilns), the surfaces become so alive that the outcome cannot be predicted accurately, this is the beauty of this art. "

She is touched by Japanese ceramics, particularly how young Japanese ceramists combine modern design and traditional firing in the anagama kiln.

Myriam loves making tea bowls and it is often with these that the ceramicist develops the glazes she then transposes to her large works. She has as much fun designing a tea bowl as a large work, "I find a meditative side to being in the centre of the workshop, to work a bowl on the wheel with music that transports me. "

Always very preoccupied with the ergonomics of the bowl, she assesses it and sculpts it at several stages of drying until the weight is balanced and the bowl is comfortable in the hands. She also pays particular attention to the lip, so that the bowl feels good and the tea flows well.

"My pleasure is really to develop my ceramics, to always explore new avenues. I grade each firing and I only put on the market the pieces that meet my criteria. I am not concerned with the quantity, I am happy with a small production rate, it corresponds to a calm rhythm of life that suits me. "

She won first prize at Carac'Terre and second prize in the competition Terre et Thé 2015, Chawan category, from 1001 pots.

LOCAL POTTERS

Meet the Quebec artisans who are passionate about the objets and art of tea. Every four months, pieces by a different designer will be presented in this unique showcase, giving you the chance to enjoy the great quality and diversity of the work of some of our local potters.