We have just added this gorgeous collection of hand made pottery items from Atelier Lalmitti, a small clay studio founded and run by artists Elodie Alexandre and Riyaz Badaruddin, an amazing couple and ceramic artist duo from France and India whose passion for clay brought them together.
They produce hand painted earthenware pottery in their studio in Andretta, a small village in the Kangra Valley in the Himalayas which is well known for its pottery.
Atelier is 'Studio' in French, while Lalmitti translates to both 'Precious Clay' in Persian and 'Red Clay' in Hindi, more commonly known as terracotta. They like to feature a 'marker's mark' on their products, which is the finger grip mark that occurs while dipping the pottery for glazing. This leaves a trace of the hands of the maker in each product and should not be misconstrued as a defect.
The products are handmade using red clay and lovingly handpainted using a specific blue and white style. The artists work intuitively and their designs are based on 'What they feel like doing', rather than someone telling them 'What to do'. Their work is thus unique and filled with love and positivity.
Reyaz Badruddin says, "Making by hand is a slower process but slowness can be seen as a positive value in a world where everything is so rushed that it often loses its sense of purpose. Therefore, buying handmade products, as a consumer, has become a real statement – not only these products are more ethical, but the energy of the object has integrity. The first time someone experiences clay work, it can be a beautiful, sensorial and spontaneous experience. It’s a natural material that is very grounding, and its malleability offers a sense of openness and possibilities... Clay requires – and teaches – patience. Many times, things go wrong, so it also teaches failure and non-attachment!"
So, you can have ceramics that you use in everyday life, and ceramics that you keep for special occasions. But when you use one-of-a-kind ceramics in your daily life, every day becomes special! We recommend this as a thoughtful gift idea from Lanos.
