Upright poles with sophisticated knobs, sponges dipped in slip, dishes made of glaze and river sand; everything Xavier Orssaud created at EKWC is artificial and at the same time close to nature. Organic growth but cultivated, translated into ceramics, arranged to evoke some sacred space – vertical poles in a circle tend to do that – bringing the viewer back in touch with a world that never existed. Breaking it down. The poles, inspired on wooden sticks used long ago for oyster cultivation in southern France, are part of Orssaud’s family history. The floral knobs with their mother-of-pearl glaze are cast from glass stoppers for decanters. The sponges come from the loofah plant, an organic alternative to artificial sponges and dishwashing brushes you can buy at the Arab stores in the Paris neighbourhood where Orssaud works. Somehow, knowing this makes the work so much more human, so much closer to life.