Artisan Highlight: Marie-Sophie Maury
Your home decor item in La Box - Été (Summer Edition)
Creator, lover of life, Provence and people
I must confess: I think I have a slight addiction to Instagram. My weekly screen time is primarily spent on that platform. I know, it’s bad. But I also believe it can lead to wonderful discoveries. That’s what happened with Marie-Sophie Maury. Once I found her, I instantly fell in love with her art work, and her personality too. Few DMs and emails later, I wanted to be friends with her!
Marie-Sophie Maury is a joyful, generous and multi-faceted artist from Provence, passionate about her region, holistic healing and people. She combines her interest for aromatherapy and terra cotta into beautiful art objects, les tomettes, which can serve as decor (for your walls or coffee table) and essential oil diffusers.
Les tomettes (floor tiles) are a key element of Provençal architecture, along with les tuiles (roof tiles), another object she creates with terra cotta. Marie-Sophie Maury likes to take construction materials and give them another life, another purpose. She also wants to raise awareness to the fact that nowadays these materials are mostly manufactured by machines, and the craftsmanship is slowly disappearing.
Earlier this month, we sat down (one ocean apart) and talked about her story and artistic journey. Here is a little recap of our lovely conversation.
Marie-Sophie Maury, tell us about you: who you are, where you live, what you do.
I was born and raised in the South of France, and live in the small village of Bormes-les-Mimosas. My father is a painter, my mother is a salesperson. I studied art from a young age, went to the Beaux Arts, but that’s not really what brought me to what I do today. During my twenties, I actually decided to take a break from art and started working in the hospitality industry (restaurants mostly) then a wine boutique. Only three years ago did I decide to explore a new artistic path: creating objects with ceramic.
What brought you back to art?
The wine shop I worked at asked me to redecorate the space. That’s when I realized I wanted to create atmospheres where people can feel good in. My main inspiration at first were plants and flowers, and my love for the South of France. I’ve also always had a thing for beautiful and durable objects.
Where did you get the idea of the tomette?
The idea actually stemmed from a few years back. My parents had purchased a piece of land and were renovating. I found some tomettes hidden in their garden, and felt like there was something to do with them. I just didn’t know what at the time, but I kept them.
In parallel, I had developed a strong interest for aromatherapy. I studied about 50 different plants and used that knowledge to cleanse my body, heal myself and restore my inner balance. I believe plants have soul, too. Then one day, the “aha” moment came: I could use the tomette as the medium for the essential oils.
My initial idea was to have the tomettes made by an artisan, but it was taking too long so I decided to learn the craft myself. That’s when I met Alain Vagh and its workshop in Salernes. It is the only place where you can learn how to work the unique terre de Salernes (type of terra cotta). My training lasted six months, where I learned the art of ceramic and ceramic stamping. It was a magical time I will forever cherish.
Fast forward to today and I am creating custom tomettes and other objects that bring joy in people’s homes, artsy boutiques and coffee shops.
What is the raison d’être (the why) behind what you do?
L’Amour with a capital A! It is what guides my work. An invitation to self-love, first, then to expand that love to the world. It took me a lot of work (and some therapy) to get there, and it’s a beautiful place to create from!
What impact do you hope to have on people?
The custom requests I receive are way bigger than me, which makes my work so fulfilling. Clients ask me for a tomette with their future baby’s name or the place where they met with their partner… It’s always something very personal and special, and it is such a treat to see them share their big news with the world via the tomette. It’s like my art becomes a part of their life and that is beyond what I ever hoped for.
What does a typical day look like for you?
Hmm, that’s a tough question. Every day is different, but there is one recurring thing: it always starts with a happy mindset and a desire to create. I also like to end it with a walk in nature, whether it’s along the beach or up the hills.
And I typically finish an order within the same day (whether it’s 10 tomettes or 100).
I can tell you care about the environment and like to be close to nature. Where does this rapport to the planet come from and how does it influence what you do?
My dad played a big part in teaching me the value of protecting our planet. When I was a kid, we would go clean up the nearby beaches or clear out some hiking trails together… Today I approach my work with the environment in mind: I create aesthetic objects that last a lifetime. I don’t want to follow trends nor to incite people to renew their home decor every season. Instead I want them to purchase a piece of art they will keep (and love) their whole life.
Any advice you can give for aspiring artists that may read this?
Find the courage to listen to yourself. It’s not an easy skill to acquire, but once you start listening to your inner voice, it opens new doors, and sometimes leads to big, drastic changes (perhaps ending a relationship or quitting your job). I’ve learned to do that through meditation, by spending time in nature, and via therapy too.
Also, often ask yourself: who am I? Where am I going? What are the steps to get there? We’re often afraid of making changes because we see the outcome and it seems way too big to handle. If we break it down into baby steps, we can better manage our fear and reach our goals.
Thank you for sharing this. One last question, just because I’m curious: what is the essential oil you use the most and why?
Good question! I use the Neroli plant a lot: it helps with emotional stability. At night, I add two drops of Neroli oil in my nighttime citrus tea. I also like to put a couple drops on my pillow, definitely helps me fall asleep!
