Martine MENARD

I started my designer career with Givenchy, Dior, Balenciaga.  In the late 60s' I created my own label “M.G. Store” which was distributed in a trendy Saint Germain des Prés store.  I then chose to become a freelance designer for French, Canadian, Italian and Hong Kong industrials.   All along, I was passionate for color and textures which I never ceased to research.

 It is therefore very naturally that my years of research and passion found a new form of expression when I started my new life of ceramist in 1997 with Georges and Rocio Vinaver in Gustavo Perez Mexican workshop.

I very quickly found my trademarks by making pieces as thin as eggshells under the direction of Yoland Cazenove and perfected Raku's technic in an workshop with Dauphine Scalbert.

The acquisition of a ceramic kiln enabled me to give way to my flourishing creative inspiration.  This rapid rise in production has been heightened by the very positive reception of my work.  Although being a “young ceramist”, my inspiration has been nourished by decades of research around colors, materials, shapes.

Since then my creations have been exposed numerous times, been published in magazines, sold in decoration stores, galleries and international exhibitions.

Ceramic is the natural outlet for my years of research and the thread of my life of work. Colors, textures, light.  I've always been fascinated with colors and textures.  This passion I developed during my designer's career has been nurtured with numerous travels in Asia, South America, Eastern Europe, Africa.  Travels during which I candidly explored the world around me but also the continuous presence of masters such as Sonia DELAUNAY, HARTUNG, SOULAGES, HANTAÏ. The legacy of these explorations has been colors, nuances, mass, granularity of their work mixed with other emotions nature and the discovery of culture offered which I grapplet avidly.

I forget everything to reformulate these inspirations in the way I mix glazes. Creating reliefs with vegetal and mineral prints or by hand participate to the elaboration of materials and surfaces.  It keeps glazes and gives it depth and poetry, like the scintillating breaking of  anthracite block declining different shades of black.  Black glaze, grey-brown, “ plissé Fortuny”…. Powdered, red, shades of grey, metallic aspect, colors and depths of sea, lagoons inspired by aquatic ondulating plants.

All this work is made at the breaking point.  Confronting evolution of material from clay's rigidity till earth's suppleness.  I also love to watch the infinity of white clouds taking and losing shape with the wind passing through the blue sky.  It is maybe during this daydreaming hours that I find the strength and freedom of my creativity in ceramics.
 

EXHIBITIONS 2007
12 Mars - DROUOT - Verre et céramique contemporain - PARIS 75009
24 et 25 Mars - Le meuble et l'objet contemporain - MARCHE DE L'ODEON - PARIS 75006
12 et 13 Mai - 1er Marché des Potiers - PLAPPEVILLE 57
2 et 3 Juin - Les jardins Gilles de Trèves - VILLE SUR SAULX 55000
1er au 31 Juin - Galerie LA PALETTE - TOULON 83000
5 au 8 Juillet - LES JOURNEES DE LA CERAMIQUE - Place Saint Sulpice - PARIS
2 Juin au 31 Août - KERAMIKMUSEUM - Westerwald ALLEMAGBNE - Pretty-Precious-Unusual : bijoux
1er au 19 Août - Galerie LES PIERRES SONNANTES - La maison du Port du Guildo 22380 St Cast Le Guildo
14,15 et 16 Septembre - Les "Ephémères" LAND ART - Château Landon 77570
27 Septembre - NUIT DES ARTS ET DES MONDES - PARIS 75015
6 au 27 Octobre - GALERIE MEDIART - PARIS 75003
18 au 21 Octobre - Galerie ANAGAMA - Terres généreuses
St Germain en Laye 78100
16 Novembre au 15 Décembre - Galerie ASIAN ART DE VIVRE - PARIS 75004
6 au 16 Décembre - L'ATRIUM - CHAVILLE 92370
6 au 31 Décembre - OESTRAKA - BERNAY 27300


EXHIBITIONS 2008
ASIAN ART DE VIVRE - PARIS 75004 -36 rue des Tournelles
22,23,24 Mars - BANDOL 83150 - Exposition collective - Port de Bandol
16, 17 Mai - PLAPPEVILLE 57040 - Exposition collective - Place de la Mairie
31 Mai, 1er Juin - VILLE SUR SAULX 55000 - Exposition collective - Château Gilles de Trèves
1er au 30 Août - Exposition personnelle "Japonisme" Compositions Ikébana, calligraphie et Katagami anciens
La Maison du Port Les Pierres Sonnantes - SAINT CAST LE GUILDO 22380
16 au 19 Octobre - Atelier portes ouvertes avec la S.E.M.A - 36 rue des Blancs Manteaux - 75004 PARIS
25 et 26 Octobre - Exposition collective - 35800 SAINT BRIAC
27 Octobre -Drouot - 75008 PARIS


EXHIBITIONS 2009
Mai - Galerie TALBOT - 75006 PARIS
Juin - Exposition personnelle - HONG KONG
Septembre Octobre - Espace Jean de Joigny - 89300 JOIGNY


PERMANENT EXHIBITIONS