Benoît Astier de Villatte and Ivan Pericoli of Astier de Villatte have always been drawn towards the old, the forgotten, the historic.
- A Parisian legacy of artisanal, handmade ceramics dating back hundreds of years.
- The last surviving linotype printing press operating in France.
- Sticks of incense produced and rolled by the inhabitants of the island where the art form originated.
These are all examples of the Astier de Villatte’s desire to connect both themselves and their work with the past.
This devotion to past connection shines through all their designs regardless of the medium, from notebooks to candles to dinnerware.
In their Alexandre collection, deceptively simple plates, bowls and teacups are molded and shaped by the hands of expert artisans in the designer’s workshop.
Each piece is constructed from their unique black terra cotta clay and colored in a milky-white glaze, essentially the designers’ autograph they’ve continued to employ since their founding in 1996.
A nod to their love of the antique, the mark of the Alexandre collection is a 3-dimensional icon modeled after an aged imprint found in the attic of Benoît’s father, the famed painter Pierre Carron.
The imprint bears a resemblance to Benoît’s brother, Alexandre, and is adorned onto every piece in the set, emerging from the flat surface of the tableware as if it were rising out of the white finish.
Finishing off the familial ties to the Astier de Villatte family, the collection was designed in collaboration with one of the original members of the Astier de Villatte brand and Benoît’s sister, Mathilde Carron.
Lighthearted in style, Ivan and Benoît have infused a sense of playfulness into their designs that elegantly blends the imaginative with the practical.
Their goal is to enjoy themselves as they create, and to pass that enjoyment on to collectors.
See Astier de Villatte’s workshop and printing press and learn more about Ivan and Benoît in this charming documentary produced by North Sea Air