Merging elements and playing with fire
- Marie-Hélène has been awarded prestigious titles for her craftsmanship
- Her work blends artistic and industrial techniques
- She enamels on steel, stainless steel and copper
After working for seven years as a librarian, Marie-Hélène Soyer decided to follow her true passion and retrain in enamelling on metal. This is a craft she has practised as a hobby since the age of nine. After training with artists and artisans, she opened her workshop in 2004. Marie-Hélène lives and works in Loire-Atlantique, a region of France where the main activity is ship-building, which allows her to work with local suppliers. She has been awarded the title of Maître d’Art, is a laureate of the Académie des Savoirs-Faire and is recognised by the Hermès Foundation. Marie-Hélène works with traditional techniques that are constantly evolving, forcing her to always innovate. Her enamel is powdered glass or crystal, coloured with metallic oxides, which give her work a liquid-like appearance. She finds inspiration in pop and tribal arts, the work of Charlotte Perriand, as well as nature.
Discover her work
INTERVIEW
I like the feeling of serenity when I have lots of time to make a piece. The pieces go into the kiln, and even 24 years later, I still find it moving and magical when my pieces come out. I also love meeting many extraordinary people whose worlds are very different to my own.
To be serene and without regret about a piece you have created.
To always remain humble in the practice of the craft, to keep on learning and perfecting your work and yourself. Also, to be prepared to work hard. A tip would be to know how to surround yourself with the right people.
Actually, there are several things that people do not know, which still surprise me today. The first is that I am not a ceramicist; the second is that resin is not enamel; the third is that enamel is not paint; and the last one is that my work entails a slow, costly and complex process.
Marie-Hélène Soyer
Enameller
Nantes, France
AVAILABILITY
By appointment only
PHONE
+33 632293533
LANGUAGES
French, English
