Sébastien Barrère brings the Giroussens convent back to life with the artists' studios and guest rooms he has set up. In the green garden of this place synonymous with plenitude and serenity, the ceramist tells us about the art of living he cultivates there.
Much more than a pottery story
It is in this former convent, an inspiring setting, that Sébastien lets his creativity and passion for ceramics speak, surrounded by two other artists, Aster Cassel and Chloé Courbet. Having become a welcoming place for visitors wishing to reconnect with crafts and nature, the ceramist offers workshops to discover the work of stoneware but also porcelain.
Sebastian Barrere
“Here, we live in symbiosis, we function as a small community with a common goal: to bring this place to life. There is a cloister, a shop, workshops and guest rooms installed in the house that I renovated when I arrived.”
When the past and craftsmanship intertwine
The walls of the Giroussens convent tell a funny story since its creation and hold a past rich in inspiration for these craftsmen. It was built in the 19e by a father for his daughter. Before dying, the latter felt remorse for having wanted to marry her by force and wanted to bring his daughter home. Later, craftsmen developed glass engraving there, as can be seen through some stained glass windows still present on the building. Finally, in the 80s, it became a marble works, we find some tools that bear witness to this.
In Giroussens, there were a lot of potters until the 19th century. They worked with earthenware, a clay that cooks at 1000 degrees and that is found around the Mediterranean basin with Greek or Moroccan pottery. A very beautiful collection is in the Rabastens museum.
Except for a few creations…
Before becoming a ceramist, Sébastien was a graphic designer and retrained for this artistic profession: “I wanted to return to a noble material, to one of the world's leading professions: potter. I did a discovery internship connecting apprentices and craftsmen. I discovered artistic ironwork, upholstery, wood sculpture, but I preferred clay. Between shapes and colors, you can do so many things. It's endless and very free as a material. Ancestral, anchored, it is the expression of a primary instinct to touch the earth and reshape it.”
Today, the craftsman creates a parallel universe of strange creatures, evoking a fantasized nature populated by enigmatic beings, and works on organic forms by creating pretty vases.
A quid pro quo with Mother Nature
I am originally from Landes, I lived in Toulouse for 25 years, I knew the village of Giroussens well because, as a child, I very often went to the Jardin des Martels by taking the little train.
“I really liked stopping at the viewpoint, it’s a charming place with the little café, the restaurant The Watchtower. A place where you want to settle down.”
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