FRANÇOIS GRENIER CERAMICS

The Artichoke dishware series

This set got it's name from potter Isabelle Milot when she saw my prototype pieces piled onto one another. She thought it looked like an artichoke. This dishware set is stoneware handbuilt from slabs. The outside is not glazed and the clay is heavily burnished so it becomes very soft and ever so pleasant to the touch, which may be its most important feature. When I form the pieces in custom-made ceramic press moulds, I pay serious attention to the joints so they show on the outside; another important feature. The inside glaze is off-white, satin matte to somewhat glossy and shows little dots and patches of a Dijon mustard colour. The handles of the cups are made of fire-wire, a metal alloy which is high heat resistant. They are dishwasher and oven safe. As they are used and washed again and again, the outside gets even softer, and a discreet patina forms making each piece ever more interesting to look at.