Karen Petit, French ceramicist

Karen Petit is a French designer ceramicist. She creates her own aesthetics: clean and soft shapes enhanced by subtle details. She gets inspiration in the past and capitalizes on it to design a new line. In 8 years, she designed more than 10 lines, inspired for example by the Art Deco period or Provence traditional ceramic. The common trait? A kind of romanticism and poesy emerge from her refined creations.

French handmade ceramics

Let's talk about the production process, given that all her pieces are handmade in France, in her workshop in Saint-Étienne.

The first word that comes to me is: patience. Karen works with the potter’s wheel to shape the pieces. Then up to three 9-hours firing sessions are necessary: one for the porcelain, another one when the enamel is added and one for the gold covering. The first firing session is particularly surprising for the beginners: the porcelain shrinks a few inches, and not identically on every piece! That's why they are so unique and may slightly differ in size. 

After each firing, it is required to leave the pieces in the oven during 2 days so their temperature decreases. So, 2 weeks pass from the beginning mixing the liquid porcelain to the final cleaning! #slowmade. Time, precision and dedication, French fine ceramic is demanding.

I admire the craft artists, their talent, their passion for ancestral know-how and their pleasure in sharing their knowledge ; Karen is one of them. Atelier d’art de France, the French professional fine craft federation, distinguished Karen as a member, recognizing her technical expertise, her creativity, and the quality of her work. 

The French vases from her line Temple are remarkable. Their creamy color with tiny black points reminds vanilla cream. And the golden lines are the perfect detail to reach elegance and smoothness. They are available in very limited edition on the Collection Timeless.