How to find happiness, the meaning of our existence?

At PLUME, our relationship with the senses and what is meaningful in our lives seems essential to us. Fundamental even.

So we wanted to offer you a series of portraits of women who inspire us with their experiences of the senses and who have chosen their passion as their life path.

During this summer, every Sunday we will offer you a portrait addressing themes such as: touch, taste, balance for example. You will discover on our Instagram account, the portrait in video format, supplemented by an article on the blog.

We hope from the bottom of our hearts that these encounters will bring you the same pleasure in watching them that we felt in making them.

Have a great summer!

Suzanne

For our very first portrait, here is Suzanne, a 38-year-old graphic designer who fell in love with the earth again at 35. Suzanne shares with us her thoughts on “Touch”, she explains to us how pottery balances her and brings her good on a daily basis.

It is 10 a.m. and Suzanne welcomes us to her pretty workshop located on rue Causserouge in Bordeaux.

Céline LI: How old were you when you started working the land?

Suzanne : My first experiences with ceramics, I was in primary school and I loved it! I even think for a few years I said I wanted to be a potter when I grew up and then eventually I did something else and came back to the earth three years ago at the age of thirty-five . I fell in love again immediately.

Céline LI : Do you have special times to work the land?

Suzanne : I go when I know I have time on my hands, and I'm always working on a series! The first pieces serve as a warm-up for me. Then I take the rhythm, I record the right movements, everything becomes more fluid. It's always a ritual, it's never rushed!

Céline : Do you experience different sensations depending on the materials you work with?

Suzanne : I use two very different soils. A Médoc sandstone, it is natural, so it is very raw with a lot of texture, impurities, it is rough under the fingers and it grates the skin a little, guaranteed scrubbing! And I also work with porcelain which is exactly the opposite, super fine and soft, a caress under the fingers, especially after having made stoneware. It is also much more difficult to turn and requires even more delicacy.

Céline LI : What are your inkings?

Suzanne : In the morning, when I arrive at the workshop I like to go see my pieces, I try to look at them with a new look, a visitor's look and that gives me ideas about what I want to pursue and what I don't want to pursue. It's a source of inspiration for the day and also gives me a good dose of self-satisfaction. (smiles)

Céline LI: What materials make you feel good?

Suzanne : So, I like materials in which there is relief, for example slightly thick fabrics like linen, old wooden floors full of defects and of course I love getting my hands in the dirt whether in the pottery or in the garden.

Céline LI : What comes to mind when you touch the material?

Suzanne : The feeling I prefer is at the very beginning of pottery when the clay stops between my fingers, I have the impression of succeeding in taming it, it's difficult when you're a beginner, so when you When you get there, it’s very satisfying. And then, it's definitely when we start to pinch the edges because we really have the impression that the earth is coming to life and transforming, it's quite magical. The earth has an extraordinary power, it allows us to empty the mind, we no longer think about anything else except the object on which we are working and I think that it is a form of meditation and that That’s why so many people like it.

Céline LI : Can you tell us about your favorite place in the world and describe it?

Suzanne : My favorite places? These are the places with beautiful rock formations, I really loved “Dead Horse Point” in Utah in the United States, it looks a bit like the Grand Canyon but less touristy. You can see beautiful geological strata there. That's wonderful.

Céline LI : A piece of clothing that makes you feel really good?

Suzanne : I'm a fan of checked shirts, I don't know why, it's my little cowboy side. I like its androgynous side too, in fact I often steal some from my partner's closet.

Céline LI: And to end this interview, can you tell us what beauty is for you?

Suzanne : I am a very contemplative person. Very sensitive to beauty, to the harmony of shapes and colors. It’s not for nothing that I’m also a graphic designer! And the more I immerse myself in images, the more I am attracted by the simple, the refined, the calm. This suits me and inspires me.

Serenity and beauty are the words to describe the sensation that working on the land provides. When Suzanne talks to us about awakening her senses through the earth, they live in a harmonious way. The touch of his favorite clay, the smell of Humus, the sound of grains of sand and the sumptuous landscapes that the Earth offers us.

Thank you to Suzanne for taking the time to share with us her passion and her love for the PLUME team.

Find Suzanne’s achievements on

Instagram: @Subo.ceramique

Facebook: Subo.ceramics

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