Home of a heart
Marie Leman from Maison du coeur tells us about her pottery pieces, handmade in Russia.
Hello, who are you?
A human. But actually, I’m not 100 percent sure about it.
Tell us about Maison du coeur, 'Home of a heart'. How did it all start?
I think it started before I found a name for what I am doing. It started in my last year at university when I realised that my favourite thing to do in this life is to draw and create things by hand. But maybe it even started before that – in my childhood I could spend hours alone in my own world, building houses for toys and drawing paper dolls with my mum.
Is there a story behind your business name?
Once I heard the phrase ‘home is in your heart, but the heart also has its home’ and it made me think about a special place that doesn’t exist in the real world, but always exist inside of you. I see life as a process of keeping your heart in its home. For me, it is like a never-ending homecoming.
Tell us about your creative journey. How did you find your love of clay making?
When I finished my study I decided to try to print postcards and calendars with my drawings and sell them in book shops of my city. It worked well and I loved the idea of being free in creating and following my heart’s voice in my business, being independent and flexible. Actually, I could never imagine myself working in a company five days a week. So I did illustrations as a freelancer for several years, taking commissions and also drawing just for myself, continuing to make postcards and posters and selling them online and offline.
At some point, I started to participate in handmade markets and it really gave me a new wave of interest for crafts. I wanted to try something new, to create things which you can touch and use. And that somehow led me to clay making. I really enjoy the two parts of the process – modelling and decorating.
Your designs are quirky and whimsical. What inspires this?
My city, Saint Petersburg, influences me a lot. Its beauty, atmosphere and its eclectic content has been always something both special and strange for me. Another important influence is traveling. Maybe the most influential place for me was Italy. I also have to mention nature, and actually, the older I get, the more important place it takes in my life. Last but not least, children’s picture books, especially those that I looked at when I was little, also inspire me.
What does the average day look like for you?
I wake up slowly in the morning, do some physical activities and prepare breakfast, drink coffee and take my time. I really enjoy morning hours. Sometimes it feels like I’m catching a right wave, a good vibe – it’s a very important time for me.
Then I go to my studio which is not so far from where I live. On average I spent six to eight hours a day in my studio. The first part of the day is the most productive for me. However, I am still in the process of putting myself into a schedule and keeping myself in boundaries. When you work independently, you are 100 percent responsible for everything. So self-discipline is super important.
In the evenings I enjoy walking back home or riding a bicycle and sometimes during the evening at home I continue to do something related to my work (making sketches, finding new ideas, editing photos).
What puts you in the mood to create?
To be honest, I don’t know. Maybe it is a mystery. Perhaps I could say ‘love’, but this word is too wide and uncertain. But still, it’s the best word I guess – if we will consider love as power that comes from the inside of our being, power that makes as alive in the deepest sense.
Saint Petersburg, Russia
