Playful perfection
- Margot fell in love with porcelain, and still is
- She believes less is more
- She has mastered the multilayer slip casting technique
As a ceramicist, Margot Thyssen strives for perfection. When she discovered the colour, soft feeling and transparency of porcelain, she fell in love with the material. Over the years she has taken the technique of multilayer slip casting to a higher level, which results in a very personal collection of multi-layered – often-colourful – objects. After years of training and attending national and international master classes – including that of Rudi Delanghe and Willy van Bussel – she opened her own studio in 2013. “Making ceramics gives me a relaxed feeling in my mind and body. I try to create an object that makes me feel good, and hopefully that goes for the public too.”
Interview
- What do you love most about your profession?
- Besides making unique, qualitative objects I love to meet the customers in person and receive their appreciation for what I do. Besides, I also love to travel abroad to present my work in a wider scope and to discover the work and culture of other ceramicists.
- How do you express tradition and innovation in your work?
- As in my previous work as a graphic designer, I love the principle less is more. I managed to fully master the porcelain to obtain perfectly smooth, harmonious objects. At the same time the colourful lines give the object a subtle, playful twist.
- What does the public not know about your craft?
- Most people are unaware of the labour intensity. Between every layer I need to wait until it’s almost dry. My record is 17 layers, which took me about six hours. Afterwards the object needs to dry, then it needs to be baked, polished by hand, glazed, baked again and finally polished.
- Can you share a memorable moment from your professional life?
- When I first met the renowned Belgian ceramicist Nathalie Doyen, she immediately invited me for a duo show. I also loved attending residencies and presentations in China and Japan, winning two Belgian Henry van de Velde Awards and obtaining the Japanese Special Judges Award.
Margot Thyssen is a master artisan: she began her career in 2012 and she started teaching in 2015
Where
Margot Thyssen
