Learning ceramics
with Camille and marion
from atelier camion
We met Camille and Marion in their workshop just north of Nantes. Originally from Normandy, the two cousins worked for ten years in communications and digital branding in the capital. It was together that they decided to leave everything behind in order to realise their plan to switch to a manual profession, where creation doesn't stop in front of a screen. They settled in Nantes and set up Atelier Camion. In collaboration with Atelier Clac, they made a piece of furniture for our new Olow boutique. During the fitting, we took the time to talk to them about their careers and the craft industry.
Can you introduce yourself in a few words?
Atelier Camion is a contraction of our first names, Camille and Marion. We're cousins and we've been living in Nantes for about 2 years. Marion came in first year and I followed 6 months later.
The idea behind Camion is to create colourful, tiled furniture using scraps or reused ceramic tiles from our region.
"Camion's aim is to create colourful, tiled furniture using offcuts or reused ceramic tiles from our regions."
How did the Atelier Camion adventure begin? What is your background?
We both wanted to work together, but also to take up more craft-based activities, working with our hands. So we had quite a few discussions and one day we said to ourselves "maybe we could do some mosaics" and then we quickly turned to ceramics. As we were working in image-related professions, we already had a certain sensitivity and creativity in our previous activities. But that started and stopped behind our screens.
I was in internal communications, and also worked on events for companies. Marion worked in branding, content creation and art direction. We worked in these areas for ten years or so before deciding to move into a more practical, craft-based profession.
When did the adventure really begin?
The idea was born over coffee in June 2021. Following this discussion, in September, we decided to launch the project. We moved into our workshop in November 2021. It was a big step for us, but at the same time it was essential if we wanted to develop our business. Every craftsman needs a workshop to try things out, to store things - it's our place of expression after all. We took the time to test, manufacture and produce the first prototype over a period of a few months. And in March 2022, we launched the e-shop with a first collection of pieces, and that's when the project was officially launched.
Have you always liked making things, or is it something new to you?
We come from a very manual family, and our hands have been very useful to us ever since we were little. Camille danced and did illustrations, while I did music and make collages. I think we're immersed in a pretty global creative universe, and that inspires us every day. When we started working with ceramics, it was a new creative activity that we could do together. At first it was a part-time hobby, but we soon decided to make it 100%.
Do you think that manual jobs have been denigrated too much? Is there a revaluation of these professions today?
I think it's still complicated to make the most of them, but we feel that this dynamic is spreading and that's quite positive. When we arrived in Nantes we found that the city was quite conducive to creativity and craftsmanship. Very quickly we were able to link up with other craftspeople, and in the space of a year we've made several collaborations. This collective energy is very pleasant and reassuring. But we also realised that in the craft industry, it's not easy to be identified, to get support and to make a living from this activity. It's a fairly risky business, because at the moment we have quite a few projects coming in, but we don't know what the future holds. It's a daily gamble to do a job that's a passion.
How did you train?
We started by watching videos. Then tilers came to the workshop to help us understand the trade and advise us on certain projects. After that, we did a lot of tests and tried out digital tools for everything to do with design. On the manufacturing side, we tried working with different brands of materials, some of which weren't viable at all, some of which didn't work at all. We took the time to train for a few months so that we could work in the best possible conditions. What's also fascinating about this job is that there's not a day when you don't learn something. Every day you come up against problems you've never had before, and at first you wonder how you're going to manage them, but fortunately there are always solutions.
You make your furniture from recycled ceramics. Was it something you wanted to do?
At the very beginning, we thought about buying ceramics, but we realised that it was a shame to have them manufactured when there were already a tonne of tiles in circulation. Once we had identified the sources, we were able to develop our network of tilers, whom we call on regularly. When a customer has a specific need, we start looking for them - it's like sourcing on a daily basis. And the tilers benefit too, because even if we don't take all their offcuts, we minimise the cost of waste disposal. As well as ceramics, we recover wood. A whole series of our pieces was made on the parquet floor of a car stand that we recovered from an events company. These were m2 and m2 that were going to be thrown away just after the show. In supermarkets, we were also able to salvage bags full of gaskets and glue at a lower cost. We do our utmost to recycle all these materials and to be virtuous in the design of our pieces.
You worked with Atelier Clac on Olow. How did the project come about?
Julien from Atelier Clac came along to the opening and it was while we were talking that we came up with the idea of working together. We'd already collaborated with Atelier Mains libres, the joiners and metalworkers who work on the Make Ici premises. It was in their shared offices that we met Atelier Clac.
With Mains libres we produced a collection of 4 pieces, combining 3 materials: wood, metal and ceramics.
"It's always very interesting to co-construct furniture and challenge everyone's ideas to come up with a common piece."
It's always very interesting to co-construct furniture and challenge everyone's ideas to come up with a common piece. One of these pieces is currently on show at Maison Contemporain in Paris's 3rd arrondissement.
Do you have any upcoming projects you can tell us about?
We're working on two big projects for private clients. A very large console desk - it's the biggest piece we've ever made - for private clients in Nantes. We also have a coffee table project, a large solid block that will require a lot of cutting, also for private clients. And perhaps one of our flagship pieces, the bookcase we made in collaboration with Mains libres. And finally, on the B2B side, we can't say too much about it, but it's a shop-fitting project in Paris, so we're keeping our fingers crossed.
Music is often a central element of inspiration and creativity. Is there a particular group or style of music that comes to mind when you're making your furniture?
It depends on your mood, sometimes it's podcasts, radio and other times jazz, hip hop, post punk, etc.... It depends on the phases of the project, we can have moments of great concentration and others when we can allow ourselves to dance to Mylène Farmer. As for audio programmes, we listen to the 'Génération XX' podcast and 'Les Pieds sur Terre' on France Culture. But generally speaking, since we've got our hands dirty, we'll listen to France Inter and let all the programmes scroll by.
