4°C
Meet the craftspeople of the Pays Loudunais
The great thing about crafts in the Pays Loudunais is that they take you right through to the other side of the shop window. Its power of attraction is such that it invites you to push open the doors of its shops and workshops to meet the men and women who shape, transform, sculpt, model or paint on a daily basis. These are open workshops, places where the material takes shape before your very eyes, where you suddenly understand what it means to “make with your hands”. Every encounter here will pique your curiosity. You’ll discover gestures, techniques, stories, passions… Whether you’re a family or a romantic get-together, these are exciting, humane and enriching moments.
Earth as the starting point for crafts in the Pays Loudunais
The Loudunais region has an intimate relationship with the land, both literally and figuratively. This is evident first and foremost in traditional building techniques: at Logis Terra Villa, the cobwork is a reminder of how houses were fashioned using local resources, taking advantage of the good sense of natural materials. To understand this technique is to grasp the way in which the builders were at one with the landscape.
This clay then comes to life in the workshops, where it becomes ceramics or pottery. In Loudun, Tout Tourne Autour de la Terre shows howclay is transformed into everyday objects. The wheel, the precise movements, the material that can be tamed: it’s all very concrete and almost hypnotic to watch. A little further afield, in Prinçay, the studio ofAnne-Rémy and Francis Clamagirand is reviving the stoneware tradition. Their pieces are inspired by the earthenware makers of yesteryear, but their style remains resolutely contemporary: simple shapes, plant decorations, creations that naturally find their place at the table or in the home.
As well as modelling, Loudun earthenware can also be turned into sculpture. In Loudun,Alex Labejof ‘s monumental works impress with their scale and power. Wood, metal, stone… each material carries a strong intention, a movement, an energy. His studio embodies another face of craftsmanship: one where you carve, shape and give form to your imagination by working with raw materials.
Detail at the heart of local expertise
The Loudunais region also promotes more delicate gestures, those that require extreme meticulousness. In Pouant, Lilas Orange Perles transforms blown glass into light, luminous, almost ethereal jewellery . The shades, variations and interplay of transparency give rise to unique pieces that catch the eye with their finesse.
On another level, art can be found on walls: in Aulnay, Patricia Guillaume works with painted decor and trompe-l’œil. Her frescoes transform a wall as if the landscape or scene depicted had always been there. She shows the sketches, the superimpositions of colours, the composition that gradually takes its place. It’s a rare skill, where technique meets true artistic sensitivity.
Accessible, friendly craftsmanship
For those who like to discover different worlds in one place, the Maison de Pays de Chalais brings together a large number of the region’s creations. There are works in stoneware, glass, decorative objects, sculptures and creations that reflect the diversity of local craftspeople. It’s a space that’s easy to stroll around, where each piece has a story to tell, and where you can often take away a meaningful souvenir.
In short, it’s a place that reflects thecraftsmanship of the Pays Loudunais: discreet, patient and deeply human. Our craftsmen are passionate people who work with sincerity and take the time to share their skills. When you see them at work in their workshops, it’s like a living transmission. You observe, you discuss, you ask a question and you immediately understand that the beauty of an object lies as much in the technique as in the person who creates it.
It’s that simplicity, that authenticity, that makes you want to come back. You leave with a piece, an image, the smell of a workshop… or simply with the feeling of having discovered something real.
