Gilbert Portanier

Gilbert Portanier Synopsis

Gilbert Portanier (1926-2023) is considered one of the most significant proponents of French postwar ceramics. His work was influenced by a harmonious combination of ceramic form and gestural painting, in which his experimental surface techniques and a free vocabulary of forms opened up the possibilities of what studio ceramics could be. Delicate yet powerful illustrations lend the objects and sculptures their very own radiance, which extends far beyond the purely sculptural.

Through his oeuvre, created over many decades, he contributed fundamentally to the international recognition of French ceramic art. Gilbert Portanier: When Ceramics Embrace Color offers a very personal insight into the life of the artist. It presents his work to impressive effect in its native environment: the studio-residence the artist created on the French Riviera for him and his wife, Annette.

Text in English and French.