Anne de La Forge

A. D une Histoire d'Emaux

Enameller

Marion SAUPIN©ProLitteris

Anne de La Forge©ProLittéris

Asserting space with enamelled copper

Anne makes decorative pieces by putting a twist on the use of jewellery enamels
Water is the common thread throughout her creations
She likes to transmit her knowledge in workshops

Anne de La Forge’s work invites us to discover the magic of the art of enamelling. Through an intuitive dialogue she engages with fire, she vitrifies goldsmith's enamels onto copper. With successive firings, the refined crystal powder and the pure metal give rise to surprising reactions. "Just as the water colourist plays with pigmented water on paper, I play with fire on enamel and copper," she claims. Fascinated by the expression of matter unique to this craft, Anne draws on her background as an interior designer to explore its infinite possibilities. Although she started out by creating fine jewellery pieces, she has moved to experiment on larger scale items and specialises in the creation of wall pieces for interiors.

Interview

Anne de La Forge©ProLittéris

Anne de La Forge©ProLittéris

Do you remember when you first got inspired to pursue this craft?: Yes, it was at the end of a workshop with a jeweller. There was some time left and the craftsman did a demonstration of enamelling. When the door of his small kiln opened on the glazed piece, I saw in a few seconds a new and fascinating world that was calling me.
When and how did you actually start?: In 2014, I started by creating and enamelling jewellery but quickly I felt the desire to free the enamel onto larger surfaces to better reveal it. Breaking out of the tradition. By the end of 2018, I had my first large custom-made kiln and I dived into the material with joy and boldness.
How do you approach innovation in your work?: Innovation allows me to express my creativity, to respond to my imagination, to make my pieces unique and to progress in this fascinating world of enamelling. In my approach, tradition and innovation intermingle and feed each other to offer a balance between respect for the past and the desire to perpetuate this rare craft.
What specific techniques do you master?: A major part of my work is done with the 'plein émail' technique, dry or wet. For specific orders, I also use other methods such as champlevé (engraving), among others. I like to continually experiment, to step out of the box and to free myself from some of the formulaic stages of the making process in order to innovate.

Anne de La Forge is an expert artisan she began her career in 2007