Using  the experimental and creative process of Raku Firing, Monique’s ceramics are inspired by the landscapes of New Brunswick. The shapes and forms of the trees inspire the designs of her boxes while her interest in exploring fish is rooted in her childhood as a fisherman’s daughter on the Bay de Chaleurs.

From the Artist

Humble Evocative Raku
Why clay? How can I make it reflect who I am? How far can I go with it? We all have a need to speak, to
convey how we view the world. How can I make this mud express who I am?
Western raku firing has become my favorite method of exploring my artistic voice. This style calls for
experimentation and creativity. And it involves playing with open flames which I love!
In the summer of 2004, I took my first raku class at the Sunbury Shores Art and Nature Center in Saint
Andrew NB with Peter Thomas. That was it! I was hooked from then on to this type of pottery. The
complexity and yet simple, impressive results of this genre is the best way I have of expressing my inner
persona.
My incentive to go ahead with a body of work comes from a variety of inspiration and impulse. The idea
can be from admiring someone else’s work, it can be from a sense of awe felt in front of beautiful
scenery, or it can be from a sense of inner peace, of happiness and joy for whatever reason. All of these
influences have played their part in this work of raku fired ceramic pieces.
The ‘eggs’ came from much experimentation after seeing Evelyne Shoenmann’s work, a ceramist from
Switzerland. Her raku pieces are a subtle balance between obscurity and simplicity, Wabi-Sabi, a
harmony I’m in constant torment of achieving.
For the Tree Boxes, the beauty of our Maritime Provinces is my inspiration. The long drives taken to
reach other parts in the Maritimes from my home in northern New Brunswick are the perfect occasion
to replenish my inspiration. I find the pristine outlines of the magnificent pines and spruce the most
compelling of all.
The colored boxes result from a poem titled ‘Colors’ written for me by my husband. His verses led me to
create different extruded boxes of different colors each with the corresponding verses written inside.
The fish theme is rooted in my happy childhood raised as a fisherman’s daughter on the Baie des
Chaleurs. This was a time when there was no concern for marine life’s present precarious state due to
global warming and pollution. For me, fishes impart a sense of vitality, a zest for life, a giddy sense of
quirkiness. My fishes are my way of stirring awareness for the underwater realm.
The chawans, Japanese tea bowl, are part of my never ending quest to achieve this commanding humble
form.
Working with mud is imparting the outcome the shape of my soul.

Monique Bujold-Brown