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Unique creations signed by Le Tanneur x Pia Chevalier
Pia Chevalier
With her love of materials in all their diversity, Parisian artist Pia Chevalier has developed an
experimental approach to working with ceramics. For this self-taught artist, it's all about passion and improvisation. As part of our collaborative series “L'art du savoir”,
we invited her to put her talents to the test in ceramics, a material which is very conducive to creativity, especially when combined with leather. From her workshop just a stone's throw from the capital, she gave us the lowdown on these three Le Tanneur x Pia Chevalier pieces.
From her studio just a few steps from the capital, the artist develops an experimental approach to working with ceramics, a material that, when combined with leather, proves particularly conducive to creativity.
I'm more of a self-taught artist, with a strong interest in craft and product design thanks to my studies. The aspect I find most fascinating as I work is essentially everything you learn in terms of materials, textures and colours.
What drew me to clay and ceramics was the freedom of expression they offer. I've never learnt about modelling, turning, shaping. I tend to have a very intuitive approach to work, where I think about the material itself first.
Volumes, dimensions, proportions – I discover them in the process of creating. I have a very experimental and intuitive way of working.
This collaboration led me to work in a different way than I usually would. I had to turn my process upside down to explore a material that I’m not used to working with. I had to do a lot of sketches before designing these pieces, and it was fascinating because this also led to more experimentation, but in a more graphic way. This was followed by some very interesting discussions with the Le Tanneur team to see what I really could and couldn’t do.
I had to find parallels and bridges between this material and ceramics. Glazed ceramics can have a shiny, soft side like grained leather, and the other side can have a rough look, like unfired stoneware. I had to find an angle with Le Tanneur where I could draw a parallel between leather and ceramics. The way I had to approach the colour was also interesting. My colour use centres on ceramics, associated with tan, Le Tanneur's iconic colour. And this peachy orange colour evoking terracotta.
The “seams” with the large handles, evoking an illusion effect that I love to incorporate into my work, especially any of my pieces that depict food. The idea was intermingling the two materials, so here you see the enamel flowing over the leather. There’s another nice detail too, in the contrasting topstitching right on the handles. Not to mention the little embossed Le Tanneur x Pia Chevalier signature, which I think looks really good. I'm fascinated by the precision of this detail.
I really liked the fact that I was working with a new material like leather, and that I had to take a ceramics approach to this material. I also really enjoyed the assembly part, which was new for me!
Please note that these three unique works are part of the Paris Design Week itinerary and will be available for sale starting from €350. Through these “L'art du savoir” collaborations, which revolve around the concept of craftsmanship together with fine materials, our brand is demonstrating its commitment to the transferring skills within the French artisanal community.
