Vidéos
Vidéos
The Atelier
A moment with Karen Swami: an intimate glimpse into her studio world.
Chemin de terre
Karen Swami raconte son parcours dans son atelier parisien, dans le 14e arrondissement à Paris. © Sylvain Arrivé.
A path grounded in earth
In her Paris studio, nestled in the 14th arrondissement, Karen Swami tells the story of her path. © Sylvain Arrivé.
Golden Noise
In collaboration with Martin De Bie, recipient of the 2021 Agora du Design grant. His work was on view at the Pavillon de l’Arsenal until July 18, 2021.
Smoke-firing
The piece is thrown, then still raw, polished for long hours with an agate stone. It is then fired once in an electric kiln. After being reheated, the piece is taken out of the kiln at 800/900°C and plunged into a barrel filled with wood shavings.
Upon contact with the glowing ceramic, the wood shavings catch fire, generating smoke that “penetrates” the clay. The ceramist’s goal is to play with the exposure time to the air and create an oxygen-poor atmosphere by covering the barrel and flames with a lid, in order to influence the final appearance of the piece and the density of the smoke treatment.
Enfumage
La pièce est tournée, puis encore crue, polie de longues heures avec une agate. Elle est ensuite cuite une première fois dans un four électrique. Réchauffée à nouveau, la pièce est sortie du four à 800/900°C et plongée dans un fut rempli de sciure de bois.
Au contact de la céramique incandescente, la sciure s’enflamme, génère de la fumée qui va “pénétrer” dans l’argile. Il s’agit pour la céramiste de jouer avec le temps d’exposition à l’air et de créer une atmosphère pauvre en oxygène en recouvrant le fut et les flammes d’un couvercle afin d’influer sur l’aspect final de la pièce et sur la densité de l’enfumage.
Podcast - Travail soigné - Karen Céramiste, saison 1, épisode 3
Meet Karen Swami, a ceramist artist with an extraordinary journey, whose studio is located in the 14th arrondissement of Paris, just steps away from the Giacometti Institute and the Cartier Foundation.
After studying business, Karen worked in real estate promotion before shifting to film production. A few years later, pottery, which she had discovered in her childhood, reentered her life and became an obvious path. Quickly, her talent was recognized, and commissions began to pour in. Her works are celebrated both in France and abroad, captivating galleries and collectors alike.
Karen blends various influences by incorporating chance into her creative process, which contributes to the unique character of her pieces. Her infectious enthusiasm is sure to win you over.