About her
Aurélie is a ceramist. At her little home on the outskirts of Paris, she has set up her atelier on the ground floor: from floor to ceiling legged-bowls share secrets with friendly-faced cups whilst flat plates whisper to porcelain masks; a rustic and fantastical atmosphere that reflects the lady of the house. Interview at creative ground zero.

Why ceramics?
Before I was born, my mother used to make pottery. Even though I’d never seen her practice it, we always had hand-made crockery at home. That made an impression on me. Ceramics has always been a way for me to return to something real, a way to offset the virtual and digital. It’s also a meeting place that nourishes everyday life just like travel or art. It’s an extremely rich discipline: you’ll never stop learning.

How was a love for pottery passed on?
It was my mother that passed the pottery bug on to me. In return, I teach ceramics in my atelier. I like the time spent sharing creativity. It’s rewarding to learn, to teach, to pass on a skill, and give a student the fundamental elements that will allow them to enjoy it on their own.

Isn’t ceramics traditionally a masculine profession?
It’s true, most well-known ceramists are male. But there are lots of women taking classes and launching careers. Maybe men are more orientated towards the wheel as it’s more technical whilst women seem to prefer hand-building as it leaves a personal touch on the finished piece.

How do you balance your personal and professional life as a mother and an entrepreneur?
It’s a juggle! It’s not always straight forward. You have to be flexible with your organisation; I wanted to work from home so I could spend more time with my children, but for that, you need to be ready to work in the evenings, during hours that are very different to traditional jobs. It makes your children more independent. The boundary between private and professional life is often blurred. Everything overlaps.

Tell us about your sense of style:
I can be a bit hippy and sometimes rock. I’m a big lover of beautiful, natural materials, like linen and wool. I wouldn’t say I’m part of that extremely sophisticated crowd, I’m not snobby. I love dresses, as well as lived-in jeans. I like all-in-ones, big skirts and mini skirts… I guess I like everything!