This text is part of the special book Culture as a gift
Quebec artisans are not lacking in creativity. Whether they work with ceramics, glass, semi-precious stones, wood or leather, these creators transform everyday objects into real works of art that we like to offer (or to afford! ) for Christmas. Here is our purely subjective selection of 12 artists to discover absolutely. You might even meet a few in person and learn more about their creative process by visiting one of the many holiday markets taking place in December. Great finds in prospect!
1. Goye’s feminine ceramics
In her Montreal studio, Stéphanie Goyer-Morin draws inspiration from fairy tales to shape ceramic works that are as sculptural as they are utilitarian. “Each object, already a bearer of history, comes into your home to create new ones, which you will take the time to share with those you love,” she describes on her website. With names like Mariette, Froufrou or En fleurs, her tableware collections are imbued with femininity, as are her collaborations with fashion designer Noémie Vaillancourt (Noémiah), with whom she produces pretty decorative objects. The ceramist and her collaborators even offer pottery lessons: a golden opportunity to interfere in her universe!
Pictured: Tulip Bowls with Rose Buds ($ 48- $ 54 each)
2. Janna Yotte’s unusual collages
Photographer and graphic designer Janna Yotte draws her raw material from botanical books, obsolete medical documents or fashion magazines, illustrations that she chooses with care and then painstakingly assembles. One of a kind, his collages are intriguing with their fascinating aesthetic, a bit surreal, but above all very personal. Already, her works – she has produced around 100 since her debut in 2017 – have been exhibited in Montreal, New York, Maastrich and Toronto.
In the photo: Collage and embroidery on paper Nothing You Feel Is Accurate ($ 420)
3. The understated jewelry from LLY Atelier
Self-taught jeweler, Agathe Bodineau graduated from the École des Beaux-Arts in Montpellier, France. No wonder she was first inspired by the visual arts, but also by architecture and natural sciences to create her jewelry with minimalist lines. Produced in small batches, necklaces, bracelets, rings and earrings are handcrafted in Montreal in collaboration with a local foundry, sometimes in polished silver, sometimes in gold-plated brass or 10-karat gold, according to the inspiration of the moment.
Pictured: Double Helix Rings in Silver and Quartz ($ 172)
4. The funny paper works of Low Poly Paper
Young and old will be seduced by these cute paper sculptures. In the box, you will find everything you need for the assembly of our paper “trinket”. Among the sets offered: pets or wild animals, even iconic buildings. Imagine: you can make a caribou head to hang on the wall, a lighthouse (a kind of nightlight that lights up with a battery-powered lantern) or even the Olympic Stadium!
Pictured: Black bear ($ 30)
5. The timeless leather goods of Partoem
Focus on quality rather than quantity. This is the credo of Partoem, a Montreal brand of pure luxury leather goods founded in 2017 by designer Madeleine Beaulieu. Distinctive, not to say exclusive, this range of handbags and small leather goods is assembled without seams or glue thanks to a folding technique that in a way evokes origami. The little extra: the designer only uses the highest quality genuine leather from Italian and Belgian vegetable tanning, a natural transformation process.
Pictured: Domus Tote Bag ($ 500)
6. Nina Janvier’s pearls
For a little over five years, jeweler Nina Janvier has been creating jewelry with pop and retro influences in her workshop located in Le Plateau-Mont-Royal, in the heart of Montreal. In gold, silver or brass, sometimes also adorned with pearls, her quirky and daring creations are no less elegant. She does not hesitate to break the codes to revisit classics such as the pearl necklace, star of her latest collection, transformed by her good care into a subtly colored work.
Pictured: Soga Pearl Bracelet ($ 345)
7. Home accessories from A + J Métissage
A + J Métissage is not only the union of two designers, Amélie Lucier and Julien Mongeau, but above all that of their two favorite materials, ceramic and blown glass. The duo – the first is a ceramist and the second, a glassblower – has thus combined their skills to create kitchen accessories and other unique (and colorful!) Decorative items that will never go out of style, for example. colored glass cruets and decanters, as well as hand-turned ceramic coffee cups and pitchers.
Pictured: Maple syrup pot ($ 75)
8. The flowery illustrations of Parcelle Studio
Talented graphic designer, illustrator Marie-Eve Chicoine offers Between the Moon and the Sea, a series of pretty posters evoking the beauties of nature and printed here on quality paper. Behind Parcelle, the name of his creative studio? “Shedding light on the plots of a contemplative universe of hidden beauty,” she writes on her online store. Poetic!
Pictured: Poster Martha ($ 40)
9. Marianne Harvey’s silk squares
Little Red Riding Hood, The Princess and the Pea, The little girl with matches, Jacques and the magic bean… Each of these children’s stories inspired textile designer Marianne Harvey to geometric patterns with studied contrasts, then screen-printed by hand using traditional printing methods. Very charming scenes that come to life on silk squares. Forget the Hermès!
Pictured: Scarf Jacques. Twilight – 23 ($ 250)
10. Sustainable objects from Maison Bélanger
The whole philosophy of Jessika Brunner-Gnass, the designer behind Maison Bélanger, revolves around eco-responsibility. Its mission: to imagine a collection of robust objects with minimal and organic shapes “in response to obsolescence [afin de] promote the reduction of electronic devices at home, ”explains the ceramist, also a graduate in graphic design, on her website.
Pictured: Terracotta diffuser ($ 40)
11. Gabriel Perreault’s wood creations
Self-taught, cabinetmaker Gabriel Perreault designs and manufactures home accessories, toys and furniture from a wide selection of local and exotic species. He sometimes even uses recycled materials for the sake of eco-responsibility. From the kitchen to the office, via the playroom, the trained carpenter-joiner is interested in all kinds of everyday objects: he even offers to make a custom-made wooden medal for your pet!
Pictured: Sushi board, bowl and chopsticks set ($ 180)
12. The utilitarian stained glass windows of Marylène Ménard
Stained glass certainly has its place in our decor, and it still does today. By transposing different ancestral glassworking techniques to contemporary and current creation, Marylène Ménard has imagined a collection of utilitarian objects for the home as colorful as they are original, such as night lights, candlesticks, trivets and decorative trays. , which she produced one by one in her Drummondville facilities. Something to add a colorful and festive touch to our home!
Pictured: Decorative tray ($ 165)