Claire Briant: A Ceramic Artist Listening to Earth and Fire

Claire Briant, a self-taught ceramic artist from Nantes, France, discovered ceramics in 2005 during a trip to the United States. She opened her studio in 2010 and practices intuitive, organic work, collecting local clays and minerals from forests, rivers, and mountains. She studied geology and flora to understand the landscape, creating unique, non-reproducible mixtures. Briant uses wood-fired kilns for their living, collective dimension; she first built an experimental kiln at home, then collaborated with ceramist Cyril Dennery between 2017 and 2018 to construct a wood kiln. The firing process is central to her practice, requiring her body's engagement with heat and fire. Her work explores vulnerability and transformation, where cracks and accidents become strengths. She views ceramics as a way of life, sublimating the everyday. A storm in Brocéliande washed away a clay deposit, reminding her of nature's constant movement.