Françoise Joris

Porcelain maker

©Françoise Joris

A porcelain journey led by imagination

Françoise feels her art expresses her feelings and imagination
She likes to push the limits of porcelain through new techniques
Firing at 1250°, her porcelain works acquire remarkable translucency

The translucency of Françoise Joris’ porcelain artworks is as captivating as light, and the result of a lifelong fascination. “I have had the visceral need to touch and shape clay since my childhood,” she says. She spent her early years in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where she was born, playing with clay and shaping it into small pots and dolls. She masters paper clay, and has developed personal interpretations of Nerikomi techniques in porcelain. Her works have been exhibited in numerous international events, and she has been awarded numerous prizes, including two Honourable Mentions at the 9th and 11th International Ceramics Competition in Mino (Japan).

Interview

©Françoise Joris

Why did you choose this craft?: I like to let my imagination wander and guide me to create my ethereal structures. Creating is my passion. To me, everything can be the subject of artistry; whether in the culinary, floral or decorative field, my creative instincts always take over.
What are your sources of inspiration?: Nature in general and, more specifically, aquatic fauna and flora. Shapes and colours trigger the emotions that drive my creations. The vast diversity of shapes and colours of the natural world enriches my imagination and reveals an almost unlimited array of perspectives.
How do you express tradition and innovation in your work?: I developed several techniques that push the limits of porcelain, and which allow me to create very delicate and very light structures. The addition of paper pulp to the clay or porcelain mass gives it more body and greater malleability. It is painstaking work and it always fills me with immense satisfaction.
What do you love most about your profession?: I love the moment when I start a new artwork, because I do not have a preconceived plan. It is a journey, led by my imagination. A piece may look simple in appearance, but in fact requires a wide range of techniques and expertise, and time.

Françoise Joris is an expert artisan: she began her career in 2008