Jean Girel

Jean Girel’s ceramics build on a classical legacy that reaches back to Chinese Song Dynasty pots, yet he upends any sense of tradition by pioneering new methods and techniques. After apprenticing with a ceramicist in the French countryside, Girel studied visual arts in Paris and then returned to ceramic-making. His studies in Paris inform the painterly, textural glazes that distinguish Girel’s work from conventional ceramics. Girel oversees every aspect of his production, sourcing clay from soil near his atelier and foraging for natural ingredients to use in glazes. His innovative process marks a break from convention, yet the clean lines and utility of his ceramics reveal a reverence for traditional techniques and classical forms.