Johanna de Clisson - Hiromi

Profile:

Key points:

• Artistic director, designer, and ceramist.

• Graduate of ENSAD (École Nationale Supérieure des Arts Décoratifs).

• Founder of Hiromi, a research studio specializing in design and ceramics (established in 2021).

• Known for her interplay of brutalist and voluptuous shapes, merging ceramics with materials like wood and metal.

• Inspired by architecture, especially the works of Ryue Nishizawa, Tadao Ando, and Oscar Niemeyer.

Nationality: French designer

Style: Minimalist, brutalist, and sculptural

• A balance between raw textures and sensual finishes.

• Strong architectural influences.

• Monochrome aesthetic, focusing on form over decoration.

Overview:

Studio Background: Johanna de Clisson founded Hiromi in 2021

Founded in 2021, Hiromi is a research-based design and ceramics studio based in Paris.

Initially trained as a photographer, Johanna de Clisson transitioned to ceramics after several years in artistic direction. Her work blends asceticism with sculptural experimentation, exploring the tension between rough textures and refined forms.

Founders: Johanna de Clisson

Approach, design philosophy: Constraint and asceticism

Johanna embraces a philosophy of constraint and asceticism. She believes in stripping away ornamentation to reach the essence of form. "I constantly try to escape ornamentation for a more ascetic and universal approach," she explains (Source: The Socialite Family). She also emphasizes the importance of simplicity: "I needed a reset, which came through the use of white. Skipping the color stage brings something more universal, more accessible." (Source: HomeMagazine). Deeply inspired by architecture, her work seeks to translate architectural principles into everyday objects, reflecting influences from brutalism and Japanese minimalism.

Style: Minimalist aesthetic

Hiromi’s style is defined by a minimalist aesthetic, sculptural forms, and a preference for raw, tactile materials. The pieces often blend architectural rigidity with organic softness, resulting in objects that are both structured and poetic.

Main inspirations:

Johanna de Clisson draws from various influences, including:

• Architecture: Inspired by Ryue Nishizawa, Tadao Ando, and Oscar Niemeyer.

• Photography: The typological work of Bernd and Hilla Becher.

• Design movements: The Memphis movement and the anti-design philosophy of the 1970s.

• Material studies: She plays with the contrast between chamotte earthenware, cracked enamel, and wood.

"Architecture is the backbone of my research. I admire Tadao Ando’s work for its rigor and simplicity." (Source: The Socialite Family)

"I try to find strength in extremely simple things. In his essays ‘Thoughts on Architecture and Landscape’, Ando explains that architecture makes sense through a very limited vocabulary of materials and forms." (Source: GoodMoods)

Identity and aesthetics: 3 shapes

The identity and aesthetics of Hiromi are rooted in rigorous form exploration. "I work around three shapes that I have imposed on myself: the circle, the half-circle, the cylinder." she states (Source: Goodmoods).

The studio’s creations balance between architectural references, playful modularity, and a raw materiality that invites tactile interaction.

Values:

The studio values:

• Simplicity and universality: "The objects you create are rather timeless, outside of trends." (Source: HomeMagazine)

  "I wanted to create objects that go against trends by working in a series-based system." (Source: GoodMoods)

• The beauty of labor: "I believe in the notion of labor in creation: working again and again on the same idea to legitimize it and make it less opportunistic." (Source: GoodMoods)

• Material integrity: "Adding texture, like grain in photography, brings something more intimate, creates closeness, reality, and a sense of lived experience." (Source: HomeMagazine)

  "I constantly try to escape ornamentation for a more ascetic and universal approach." (Source: The Socialite Family)

Creative process:

The studio’s creative process is based on structured experimentation:

• Initial sketches and studies to define proportions.

• A focus on modularity and repetition.

• Handmade production in her Parisian atelier.

• Collaboration with other artisans in wood and metal to expand material possibilities.

Production and materials:

Hiromi primarily works with:

• Chamotte earthenware: Rough texture that enhances depth.

• Cracked enamel: Adds a sensual, tactile contrast.

• Wood and metal: Occasionally incorporated for structural and visual interplay.

Her creations blend rough textured chamotte earthenware and sensual touch cracked enamel she sometimes associates with metal or wood in her immaculate studio-laboratory in the north of Paris. (Source: Monde Singulier)

Production methods:

Johanna employs both hand-building techniques and modular assembly:

• Hand-building: Creating unique forms by layering and sculpting.

• Mold-based repetition: Ensuring consistency while allowing variation.

• Surface treatments: Texturing clay surfaces to achieve desired finishes.

Main categories:

• Lighting (table lamps, wall sconces, light sculptures)

• Furniture (seats, coffee tables, bedside tables)

• Sculptural objects and wall modules

Notable collections:

• Objet 10 (The Wave): A modular, undulating sculpture.

• Objet 11 (Pacman): A series of interlocking ceramic forms.

• Objet 21: A spaceship-inspired suspension light.

• Objet 24: A sculptural light piece with architectural influences.

Major projects:

• Custom light sculptures for architects

• Wall sculptures and installations for private collectors

• Liberté bakery, Paris (9th arrondissement): Ceramic pieces designed for the space.

• Galerie Objets Inanimés (Marseille): Exhibited works.

Recognition:

Johanna de Clisson’s work has gained recognition for its innovative blend of sculpture and design. "My creations look like lamps, yet I call them Objects. I like working at the boundary between art and design, between form and function, setting aside functionality to focus on shape." (Source: Goodmoods). Her pieces have been featured in leading design publications and exhibited in contemporary galleries.

Press/media quotes:

• Milk Decoration: https://www.milkdecoration.com/latelier-de-ceramique-hiromi/

• Ideat: https://ideat.fr/johanna-de-clisson-hiromi-objets/

• The Socialite Family: https://www.thesocialitefamily.com/fr-fr/media/article/chez-fondatrice-atelier-hiromi-johanna-de-clisson

• Homemagazine : https://www.homemagazine.fr/hiromi-liberte-creative/

Headquarters and website:

• Paris, France

• Instagram: @hiromi_objets - https://www.instagram.com/hiromi_objets/