Ceramic
About
After training Plastic Arts at the University of Paris I and in several workshops of the Beaux Arts de Paris, Martine Mikaeloff discovered working with clay in 1993 and participated in numerous ceramics courses and workshops.
Favoring the material and work of enamel, the shapes of his creations are simple and refined. The filming of cups, bowls, plates, dishes, constantly renewed but each time different, makes the object moving and charged with an imprint. The repetition of the gesture allows an intimate connection with the earth.
She creates her own enamels so that the colors sing according to her mood and express the close bond she has with nature, an inexhaustible source of inspiration.
Exhibitions
1999- “De Main de Maître” exhibition at the Palais des Congrès in Paris.
2000- Exhibition at the Saint Sulpice ceramic days in Paris.
2002- Exhibition at the Carrousel du Louvre.
2003- Exhibition at Saint Leu Art Expo.
2004- Exhibition at Saint Leu Art Expo.
2004- Franco-Japanese exhibition in Kanazawa - Japan.
2005- Personal exhibition Osaka and Kanazawa.
2007- Osaka personal exhibition.
2008- Interior Lifestyle exhibition at Big Sight in Tokyo - JapanLecoeur gallery exhibition in Kobe - Japan
2008- The winter village - Place Saint Sulpice - Paris
2009- Franco-Japanese Exhibition - Galerie Tenri - Paris
2012- Saint Leu Art Expo
2013- 25 years of Saint Leu Art Expo
2017 - Salon “Revélations” grand Palais Paris
2019 - Salon “Revélations” grand Palais Paris
2022 - Salon “Revélations” grand Palais Paris
Regular exhibitions at the “Maison et Objet” fair in Villepinte – September session.
Creation and technical process
“The beauty of nature is the main source of inspiration for my work.
I use fine English porcelain clay or stoneware clay from St. Amand en Puisay in France.
My work process includes many steps.
First, I weigh the clay, then knead it to avoid air bubbles. After that, the parts are turned or built by hand. When the piece begins to dry, reaching a so-called leather-hard consistency, which is a short time between wet and dry, I cut it with special tools to finish the shape and create the foot.
Then, a long time is necessary for the actual drying inside out. Once each piece is completely dry, I sand the foot and edge.
Next comes the first firing, which transforms the clay into a biscuit. When the first firing is finished it is almost time for glazing, but before that the piece must be cleaned of any dust, signed and waxed underfoot so that the glaze does not stick to the inside the oven.
Glazing is a very important step. I prepare the frosting recipes myself after a long period of research and testing.
All ingredients are weighed and sifted.
For pieces where different colors are superimposed, patterns and drawings are made with wax at each level of the enamel using the ancient Batik technique.
Then comes the second cooking over high heat, around 1280°C.
After waiting for the oven to cool completely, the pieces are finally finished. Opening the oven door is always an emotional moment...! "