Featured Artist
Laurent Guez
Designer, ceramist artist

From an early age, I developed a talent for construction, imagining and assembling cities with Lego. My passion for blending aesthetics and engineering led me to study industrial design at the École Nationale des Arts Appliqués et des Métiers d’Arts in Paris, where I lived from 1975 to 2000. Since 1981, I have been deeply involved in design, starting my career in Paris as a designer and art director. After moving to Canada in 2000, I founded Guez Communication & Design in Montreal, and in 2010, I became a partner at Tux Creative Agency as VP of Environment Design. Drawn to the creation of visually striking and identity-rich spaces, I designed environments ranging from department store kiosks to stand-alone boutiques, collaborating with internationally renowned clients, particularly in the cosmetics and pharmaceutical industries.

In 2022, I opened my ceramic studio in Abercorn and Mansonville, Québec, where I continue to explore artistic expression, creating unique tableware, art pieces, and ceramic furniture. In July 2020, I showcased my ceramic tableware collection at the Abercorn Cultural Centre in Canada during my solo exhibition, “Art in Park.” In the following months, I participated in group exhibitions at WIP Gallery in Montréal, including “Les Matériaux” and “The Circular Market.” In 2021, I returned to the Abercorn Cultural Centre for another “In the Park” collective sale and took part in WIP’s “The Circular Market” exhibition once again. In 2023, I exhibited at the Art Lab Gallery in Knowlton and participated in a sculpture workshop with Mexican artist Juan Luis Potosi, which led to a shared exhibition. Looking ahead, in 2024, I will exhibit at Spazio Ceramica in Faenza, Italy. In 2023, I had the honor of being an artist in residence at the Faenza Ceramic Center in Italy, where I developed ceramic tables inspired by the intriguing contrast between organic elements and static structures. In 2024, I will return for another three-month residency, supported by a grant from Canada.

In 2014, I chose to explore my creativity beyond the constraints of commerce, and then fully dedicated myself to art in 2022. I turned to a three-dimensional medium: clay, and more specifically, its most refined form – porcelain. Drawing on my expertise in construction and problem-solving, I create complex, large-scale works that reflect my vision of life and its challenges.

Trained in wheel-throwing, I initially crafted tableware before expanding my practice to more sculptural works and stoneware furniture. My discovery of porcelain craftsmanship in Faenza, Italy, opened new artistic perspectives, allowing me to explore various shaping techniques such as throwing, molding, and hand-building.

Today, my creations revolve around the concept of resilience and the individual’s evolution in response to environmental constraints. The cactus – with its remarkable diversity, organic growth patterns, and extraordinary adaptability in hostile conditions – has become my primary source of inspiration.

To bring these organic forms to life and push the boundaries of contemporary ceramics, I integrate mixed techniques, combining wheel-throwing, molding, and the assembly of diverse materials such as paper, wood, and metal. This multidisciplinary approach enriches both my sculptures and my ceramic furniture pieces.

I am both an expansive dreamer and a pragmatic rationalist. These two opposing aspects come into play in my current ceramic work.

more. www.laurentguezceramics.com

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