Jacques Blin Vase

A very pretty blue vase signed Jacques Blin. Jacques Blin (1920-1995) was an iconic ceramist of the 1950s. He was born in Pierrefonds, in the Oise region of France, in 1920. A graduate in Aeronautical and Automotive Engineering, he taught industrial design in Paris, then worked as an engineer in La Rochelle. Called up for compulsory labor in Germany in 1943, he refused to comply. He returned to Paris and joined Matra Aviation. A lover of freedom and passionate about the visual arts, he decided to leave the aeronautics industry in 1949. He began learning the art of ceramics in various Parisian workshops. At home, he started by creating jewelry and lamps, then developed decorative and functional ceramics in small workshops in Paris and Auxon, and later in the Indre-et-Loire region. His artisanal production was limited to small series and unique pieces, primarily animal grails, Noah's Arks, or interstellar vehicles, reminiscent of his early work in aeronautics. In Paris, to promote his work, he exhibited regularly at the Salon des Ateliers d'Art from 1953 onwards. The enameled pieces from this early period are often monochrome with a dynamic, almost aerodynamic volume, inspired by nature. Around 1955, his encounter with the painter Jean Rustin (1928-2013) allowed him to define the highly personal and distinctive style of his work: the incised decoration was done freehand, and the use of metallic oxides before enameling gave the background a cloudy or stony effect. This visual and universally recognizable style contributed to Jacques Blin's success. Catherine Blin, née Pierson (1932-2024), Jacques' second wife, assisted her husband in the workshop.