Meeting + interview with Suzie from Tom and Folks

Brutal. went to meet ceramist Suzie from the Tom and Folks studio in her Paris studio. Let's discover his universe through an interview.

What is your background and your training to get to ceramics?

I studied communication and then moved to London. I loved - and I still love - this city that I find very energizing. There, I studied fashion in Saint Martins. Then, I did a master's degree in fashion in Paris and I worked for 10 years for beautiful houses like Darel, Carven or Chanel.
Still as product manager. At Chanel, I worked a lot with the embroiderers and their incredible know-how fascinated me. I had long wanted to make pottery to create objects. I was also very interested in tableware. I took evening classes in Corentin Brison's studio, which had just opened next to my house. After 2 years I started to retrain and I did my apprenticeship as a ceramist at Corentin for 6 months intensively with Martin. The three of us got along very well and created the Trois Potes pottery workshop, which mainly gives weekly lessons and initiations. We wanted to create a place where you can learn pottery in a relaxed atmosphere, which we had experienced with our evening classes.
I have no artistic training in the proper sense but I was immersed in a very creative professional universe, and I acquired a sense of detail and colors. I have (I think) good taste, I like to receive and highlight good products. This is what drives me every day to create tableware.

Are you self taught or did you learn from someone else?

I learned a lot from Corentin, and then later from other ceramists that I had the chance to meet.

Do you remember your first play?

Yes, a small cobalt blue bowl that I gave to my mother and who uses it to put salt.

How would you define your job?

I would say that my work is that of an artisan. I have a know-how that I must constantly perfect. I also have to pass it on. What drives me on a daily basis is really to make dishes that will also be part of the recipe and that will last over time. To create meaningful objects with integrity.

What is your creative and manufacturing process?

I like to test different sandstones in the tones of Tom and Folks (red, brown, greige, black...). Once I have found 2 or 3 colors that I like, I think about a form of object for the table. It is important that the colors go together to create harmony on the table. And it is very important that the object is useful and practical for everyday life.

What is your favorite technique? Your favorite moment in the process?

I really like to make plates and dishes. My favorite part of the creative process is when I twist the cylinder into a
an object. It is very impressive and satisfying to create an object with your hands.

What is your favorite material? What do you like about him?

I really like sandstone. The different shades it gives depending on where it comes from makes it a very interesting material. I would love to try American stoneware.

What inspires you apart from ceramics?

Travel. Coffees. Meetings. Photography.

Can you tell us about one or more books on ceramics or something else?

I often like to dive back into the book “The Kinfolk Table”. It is always inspiring both by the spirit of sharing that emanates from it and by its aesthetics.
Recently, I loved Bea Mombaers' book "item & interiors", very beautiful photos, simple and timeless objects. Lots of inspiration!