ABOUT
We love to combine symbols of gratitude through light
Origins
L’atelier de l’Aube was founded in 2023 as a collaboration between ceramicist Marie Drolet and Ukrainian-born ceramicist Oleksandr Polishchuk, who arrived in Quebec in 2022 following the outbreak of the war. Combining Marie’s porcelain work with Oleksandr’s expertise in casting, the two artists pool their respective talents at every stage of the process to create sculptural works in illuminated porcelain. They are based in Wakefield, in the Outaouais region.
Interested in natural ecosystems and the interrelationship between all forms of life, they create art pieces in the form of wall hangings, sculptures, lamps, or immersive light installations. In addition to ceramics, the medium of light itself becomes an intangible material that elevates the subject and the details of the work. In all their creations, they aim to highlight the sacred essence of the natural world and the importance of viewing it as a being with a soul of its own.
They thus draw upon metaphysical philosophical reflection, theology, and certain mathematical and scientific concepts to explore the origins of nature, humanity, its place in the universe, and its interaction with it. They employ ritual acts to immerse the viewer in the experience of the mysterious miracle of life’s manifestation.
The translucency of porcelain offers a symbolic representation of the divine spark within each of us. Combining light in the material envelope of porcelain is a way to invoke an ethereal place that lets us remember how we all came from the same source. It’s an invitation to discover how we can be free from corporality.
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Marie Drolet
Marie Drolet has over 25 years of experience in the field of ceramics, having learned from her father, who was himself a ceramist until the late 1990s. Her studies in visual arts were furthered through ceramics residencies at Alfred University (NY) with Korean master Lee Kang-Hyo, at the International Ceramics Studio (Hungary) with artist Ilona Romule, as well as with American (Antoinette Badenhorst) and Ontario-based (Chandler Swain) ceramists.
She had the opportunity to explore this medium during artist residencies in New Brunswick (Saint John Arts Centre), in Charlevoix (La Terrière), and in Gatineau (Maison Scott Fairview), as well as through research and creation projects funded by the CALQ, the Canada Council for the Arts, SODEC, and Culture Outaouais.
Since 2014, she has managed Muraï Céramique, a hub for ceramics in the Outaouais region. In addition to producing a collection of utilitarian ceramics with colorful glazes, the studio brings together four professional artists and some thirty members, and offers classes to over 250 students annually. The studio organizes open houses, group exhibitions, workshops for beginner and advanced ceramists, as well as cultural outings to ceramics-related events.
In 2018, she began exploring porcelain, which led to the creation of the collective L’atelier de l’Aube (2023), in collaboration with the artist Oleksandr Polishchuk.
Oleksandr Polishchuk
Oleksandr Polichshuk became a ceramic artist in 2007, following his experience as a manager and chief engineer at a decorative and architectural ceramics manufacturing company in Kyiv, Ukraine. His 15 years of experience give him a deep understanding of the technical requirements of the craft, enabling him to execute large-scale projects.
In his projects, he focuses on creating monumental pieces, such as outdoor benches, fireplaces, garden sculptures, mosaics, lamps, and other architectural elements. He employs a variety of techniques to bring his projects to life.
Through his work, he seeks to convey vital energy, drawing inspiration from nature, contemplation, and innovation. Ceramics allow for the exploration of primordial materials (earth, fire) that have been used for generations to express cultural specificities, both artistic and spiritual. The various decorative motifs of these traditions call for meticulous and detailed work, during which the artist’s state of mind connects with a millennia-old memory and creates a human continuum.
At L’atelier de l’Aube, he focuses on the technical challenges posed by porcelain as a material, as well as the creation of complex, illuminated works.
