April 01, 2022
Women's History Month: Spotlight on Florence Penault
Last but not least, in our Women's History Month series, is ceramic artist Florence Penault. Florence resides between France, Connecticut and Boston and has been making pottery for almost 20 years. Influenced by Korean and Japanese ceramics, she makes functional objects which are truly beautiful, simple and timeless.
"My influence is certainly Asian. I made several trips to Japan but I have been mostly influenced by the Korean aesthetic. While in Osaka I saw a simple and humble piece in the Osaka’s museum of ceramics which broke my heart. Well, there were two. One was a black gourd from Korea, the other a white vase, also from Korea, not even regular or symmetrical but full of elegance in its simplicity. It was a lesson than I humbly try to follow."
"I like minimalism and simplicity and give priority to the shape of a piece so the decoration is secondary. And if I put a decoration, I find inspiration in my everyday life in France and in nature and like keep it simple."
