ABOUT ME

As a dedicated educator, passionate about the clay material, I aspire to share my extensive skills and knowledge in a broad range of ceramics techniques and ignite a love for clay in my students by creating a flexible, supportive, and dynamic learning environment that nurtures creativity and personal development.

My personal work aspires to critically investigate the conceptual potential of the ceramic object , exhibiting my belief that ceramic multiples and ceramic installation art can demonstrate a clear attachment to the material clay as well as a strong connection with the history and tradition of the medium while transcending its association with Craft – enabling thereof the ceramic artist to express content and conceptual ideas that can interject with various audiences, convey substantive content and generate conversations about political and social issues.

WORKSHOPS

CERAMIC WORSHOPS

As an experienced and dedicated ceramics teacher, I deliver motivating and inspiring clay workshops for all ages and all skills levels, both in the studio environment and in local schools. My goal is to provide an enjoyable, creative, and engaging learning environment leading to increased senses of personal accomplishment and nurture student’s creativity and personal development.

All workshops are carefully designed and cover a broad range of ceramics techniques such as: Hand building techniques, including: pinching, coiling, and slab building. Wheel Throwing, including: technical tuition and guidance. Glazing and surface decoration, including: underglaze paints and glaze mixing. With my workshops, I aspire to share my knowledge and love for clay which shows us the power of our hands and creativity in unimaginable ways.

Coporate Classes

In the fast-paced corporate world, finding the perfect balance between work and relaxation is essential. My ceramic classes offer a unique blend of creativity and mindfulness, providing a refreshing break from the everyday hustle. Engage your team in an activity that not only fosters individual creativity but also strengthens the bonds that make a team thrive.

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Elevate your team’s dynamics, spark creativity, and create lasting memories with these Corporate Ceramic Classes. Discover the joy of working together to craft beautiful pieces that can be used in everyday life.

Key Features:

1. Relaxation Through Creativity:

Unwind and tap into your artistic side as you will be guided through the soothing process of hand-building pottery.
Pottery has been proven to be a therapeutic and stress-relieving activity, offering a welcome respite from the demands of the corporate world.

2. Customizable Experience:

Tailor the experience to your team’s needs with a class duration of 1.5 hours.
Minimum of 12 participants, groups can be split for bookings over 22, ensuring an intimate yet lively atmosphere.

3. Hands-On Learning:

Classes cover a variety of hand-building techniques, empowering participants to create unique, personalized ceramic pieces.
Artwork will be returned to the company, fired and glazed in a range of chosen colors, a tangible reminder of the shared experience and the creativity within your team.

Children & Youths Classes

Discover the enchanting world of pottery where every masterpiece begins with a child’s imagination. Children and Youth Ceramic Classes are designed to not only cultivate artistic skills but also foster holistic child development.

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Key Features:

1. Creative Exploration:

Ignite your child’s creativity through hands-on exploration of clay and the magical art of pottery.
Classes provide a safe and supportive environment for children to express themselves artistically, encouraging imaginative thinking and problem-solving.

2. Holistic Development:

Beyond the artistry, pottery promotes fine motor skills, sensory development, and patience in children.
I understand the importance of holistic development and tailor each class to stimulate both the artistic and cognitive growth of young minds.

3. Hand-Building Techniques:

Classes exclusively focus on hand-building techniques, allowing children to shape their visions into tangible, three-dimensional works of art. From pinch pots to coil creations, each session introduces a variety of techniques, nurturing a well-rounded understanding of ceramic art.

4. After-School Club or Visiting Art Activity:

Flexible scheduling options: Engage your child in an after-school club or invite me for a captivating visiting art activity. Whether a regular part of the curriculum or a special event, my classes seamlessly integrate into the educational journey of children and youths.

Why Pottery for Kids?

Cognitive Development: Pottery enhances concentration, attention to detail, and spatial awareness.

Emotional Expression: Children learn to express emotions and thoughts through the creation of unique, personalised pieces.

Pride in Accomplishment: Completing a pottery project instils a sense of achievement and boosts self-esteem in young artists.

PROJECTS

DANGEROUS LABOUR

‘Dangerous Labour’ derives directly from my previous professional experience as a documentary photographer covering the issue of Maternal and Child Health in Haiti (View image gallery here). I am deeply interested in questioning how artists can address social issues within contemporary art and influence public opinion.

Using multiple miniature hand thrown vessels as a shape metaphor for the womb, the installation, an abstract mural based on maternal deaths statistics (World Health Organization, 2010) and their geographical location, aims to raise awareness on the sheer number of women dying everyday due to pregnancy related causes as well as the striking disparity between the global North and the global South.

BEAUTIFUL IMPERFECTIONS

This ongoing work is an investigation of stress relations between ceramic bodies and glazes. Glazes are conventionally used as a coating layer providing the ceramic body with high chemical resistance, durability and aesthetic aspects. Alteration in the optimum conditions of the firing process (time, temperature, cooling) and individual glazes components, create chemical reaction that lead to the formation of glazes defects caused by improper stresses within glaze layers (tension, compression). These indelible marks can appear as crazing, cracking, peeling, pin-holing on the surface layer.

Inspired by a quote by Hans Selye, a pioneering endocrinologist, “I cannot and should not be cured of my stress, but merely taught to enjoy it.”, I started experimenting with the idea of beauty within stress marks and defects, which disable the intended utilitarian function of the ceramic vessel but create beautiful and aesthetically original outcome.

Monika Grandvaux