Marion Graux: the potter who shapes the emotions of great tables
Christine Robalo | 11/23/24, 8:56 AM
Marion Graux transforms earth into poetry, creating tableware that enchants the tables of private individuals and top French chefs alike. Interview
After a career in fashion and interior design, Marion Graux turned to pottery, creating unique pieces that grace the tables of restaurants in Paris and Brittany, and collaborating with food brands such as À la mère de Famille and home decor brands such as Enamoura. Now based in Port-Louis, Morbihan, she tells us about her career, her passion for clay and her artistic approach, which combines tradition and modernity.
14 years ago, you decided to change your career path. was it a reconversion or a natural evolution for you?
It wasn't really a reconversion, but rather the logical continuation of a path. I decided to choose the life I wanted to lead, to be creative without sitting behind a desk all day. I started ceramics 13 years ago with a CAP in throwing. I wanted to make tableware. So, in 2010, I became a potter, a term I prefer to ceramist, a nuance that's important to me!
I trained with village potters, because I was keen on this "peasant" approach to the craft. At Augusto Tozzola's, I turned for seven hours a day without firing a single piece... it teaches humility! As for Dauphine Scalbert, she taught me the secrets of enamels and the rigors of the workshop. These two mentors instilled in me deep-rooted values that guide me to this day.
What characterizes your creations and your artistic philosophy?
My passion for pottery, my respect for the material and my approach make my creations much more than simple objects. Each shape is carefully thought out, and color is worked like a material. My creations express a philosophy of life based on sincerity and sharing.
Your pieces have quickly won over the big names in gastronomy. How do you explain this craze?
I'm part of this new generation of artisans who use networks to make their work known to as many people as possible. Very quickly, I was lucky enough to have customers coming to me. Architects, but also chefs like Hélène Darroze, who has remained loyal to me for all her gastronomic addresses, Guy Martin with whom I worked when he was in charge of the kitchens at Le Grand Véfour, Nicolas Conraux of La Table de la Butte in Finistère and Greg Marchand of Le Frenchie. being chosen by a chef is a gift. They know what they're looking for from me, and we have a mutual understanding.
Where does your attachment to the arts of the table come from?
My mother used to say: "Tonight, we're making a beautiful table". That meant a party! Choosing the plates, arranging the antique silverware, picking flowers from the garden... It was all a ritual for my sister and me, making these moments unique. For me, beautiful dishes go hand in hand with a well-kept table. When everything is beautiful, you can't help but eat well!
Color plays an important role in your work, particularly pink. Why this predilection?
I think it would take me a lifetime to find the right pink: the pink of skin that reddens in the sun, the pink of my children, the shade of flesh... I also love all colors reminiscent of nature, with a mineral touch: green, gray, earthy. To eat in, you have to be able to find the color in real life. Color is essential to create an emotional connection with the object.
Your collaboration with Manufacture de Digoin marked a turning point in your career
Working with the famous Manufacture de Digoin enabled me to make my pieces accessible to the widest possible audience without denying my identity. I had five molds, three plates and two bowls made there. With them, I didn't feel I was selling my soul to the devil. They respect my specifications, with a manufacturing process adapted to be as close as possible to my work in the workshop. Here, as on my lathe, the human hand is involved at every stage. Enameling, for example, is done by hand and not in a cabin, as is the case for other pieces from the Burgundy brand. Two different manufacturing processes that customers look for in me.
You recently moved to Port-Louis, in Morbihan. What does this change mean for you?
After several years spent between the Oise and the capital, I took my husband and children with me to establish our new life in Brittany. Far from the hustle and bustle of Paris and close to the sea, I found here a new source of inspiration. From January onwards, in my Breton workshop, I'll be continuing to shape plates, bowls and other everyday objects. If my pieces can bring beauty and sincerity to people's everyday lives, then I've achieved my goal. I can still see myself making plates when I'm 90.
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