cardboard pottery? jacques monneraud's ceramic vessels look like they're made from carton

Jacques Monneraud crafts cardboard-like ceramics

When you first come across Jacques Monneraud’s work, you’ll likely be amazed by the level of detail and sleekness in his cardboard sculptures. Upon closer inspection, you’ll be even more surprised to discover that his vessels are actually made of clay. The cardboard-like pieces are part of a collection called Carton, which features a selection of unique pitchers and vases. The ceramic series stems from Monneraud’s desire to explore a ‘what if’ idea and his personal encouragement to ‘stay foolish,’ as he mentions in his Instagram posts.

all images courtesy of Jacques Monneraud

the inspiration and creation of the carton series

The collection was launched in February 2024, with Jacques Monneraud announcing it on his social media. In an accompanying post, he explained what inspired him to create this cardboard-like ceramic collection. ‘Among all the things that go through my mind, there was, within the ‘what if…’ category, the idea that I could recreate cardboard with ceramics,’ the French potter shares. The first aspect that drew him to this project was its paradoxical nature: unalterable cardboard. ‘I liked this idea. I’ve always been very sensitive to things that time can damage,’ he mentions. The second aspect was the project’s apparent simplicity: three pieces of cardboard, two chunks of tape, a pitcher. This contrasted with the technical challenge of achieving great precision, mixing three different stonewares, conducting hundreds of tests to find a glaze that could imitate tape, and executing a process with no room for error. Finally, he was interested in highlighting the idea that one should not trust appearances.

Monneraud also says that the wealth of possibilities this collection offers persuaded him to complete it. The Carton series comprises 40 pieces, including pitchers, carafes, and vases, all handmade with stoneware and fired at high temperatures, though they may look as if they have been cut and taped together. And to answer your question, the ceramic vases imitating cardboard will not be sent in cardboard boxes imitating ceramic. ‘Let’s not exaggerate,’ the artist says.

the cardboard-like pieces are actually made from clay