Hi, I am Isabelle François.

I have been passionate about pottery since 1998. To create objects with earth, water, fire and color is one of the most beautiful experiences in life. It satisfies me to create something out of nothing with these basic elements of nature. This means I can really let my inspiration flow.

Every creation, every touch of a finished form is a connection to the long and rich history of pottery bakers who have been doing this for over a thousand years.

I got my technical base from Françoise Cludts, ceramist and hostess at “Les Ateliers de la Rue Voot” in Woluwe. Then I started a small studio in my garage, and in our house in Eizer-Overijse I was able to turn this into a fully equipped workshop in which I can truly do my thing.

Imperfect and uneven

At first I had to experiment a lot. But by discovering the ancient handbuilding-technique I found a way to create uneven structures. By building up coils, I am able to make large objects and to turn my inspiration into reality. This makes me work freely and gives me full control over the material.

I finally succeeded at making “imperfect” shapes. Imperfect, as we all are.

Inspiration.

Ever since I was a child I was attracted by ancient art from Greece, Italy and Egypt. Not by the usual images of heroes and gods, but the purity and refinement of everyday objects. Without realizing it myself, I was then influenced by these forms and starting with pottery these influences resurfaced.

In addition, over the years I have come to know artists who work the same way. One of my role models, for example, is Siddig El’nigoumi, a Sudanese artist who lived in Great Britain. Thanks to him, I learned new techniques, such as sgraffito, the engraving of motifs through the use of a fine needle.

Technique

I usually work with engobes that I make myself using clay and oxides. I apply 2 or 3 layers of engobe on top of the leather-hard objects. When that’s all dried up, I polish the whole thing to obtain a smooth and shiny effect. It’s only after this process that I use sgraffito to add patterns. When my object is finished, I let it dry for several weeks. Then I can bake it at a high temperature (1280 °C) using an electric oven.

I also like to experiment with glaze to become a shiny effect, and ocher pigments on finished and baked pots.