JOSÉ DROUIN
Born in Montréal, José Drouin settled in Saint-Modeste in the Lower St. Lawrence region in 1978. She opened her first pottery workshop and made bowls, pots, jugs and various utilitarian objects. In 1985, she moved to Mont-Saint-Hilaire. She attended a workshop conducted by Russell Kagan who initiated her to a new raku technique which reinforced her passion for this firing method.
“As a ceramist, I must struggle with many elements before obtaining an interesting piece. With the gas kiln as well as with the raku one, I take much pleasure at mastering chance and the uncontrollable. I love surprises and the unexpected is what fascinates me. When I place pieces into the kiln, I imagine the best for each of them; that is the final test. Sometimes it’s pure joy, sometimes it’s a disappointment. Humility and perseverance are my best allies in this quest. Even after 30 years at this work, I still have uncertainties and challenges. What dominates is the passion for a craft which is at once time complex and stimulating.”
Don't miss the wonderful little documentary on raku which will inform you about a spectacular cooking technique. You will find here a very friendly interview explaining my career as a ceramist. This interview was conducted by TVR9. Unfortunately it is only in French.
MARIE-ANGE SAMON
In 2005, José formed a partnership with Marie-Ange Samon. Both decided to give the name Ne faites pas l’autruche (Don’t behave like an ostrich) to their boutique. This was in order to remind passer-bys that there are genuine professional craftswomen in Québec, impassioned creators who love their craft and wish to make a living out of it. That is the reason for the name... Don’t act as if you didn’t see us!
Marie-Ange Samon was born in Grenoble in the French Alps. She was very young when she started travelling and discovering the world’s other cultures. As an adult, she initiated herself to weaving on a high warp loom and created contemporary tapestries which allowed her to fulfill her passion for colours and matter. Arrived in Québec in 1992, she attempted on pottery, an art that she had learned while she was living in Boston. New country, new profession.
“I draw my inspiration from my roots (weaving and travelling) in the sacred universal memories. The places from which I draw my inspiration are loaded with symbols. Through myth figments, through fragments and story outlines, I wish to create a dream space. I love earth because of its memory which conveys a part of the ceramist’s thought through the centuries”.
