The hands behind Balif
A story born on the shore
I grew up in a small seaside town, where summers smell of salt and ripe figs. As a child I filled my pockets with shells, smooth pebbles and pieces of sea-frosted glass: little treasures that seemed to have a story to tell.
Years later I discovered clay, and with it a way to hold on to those memories. Balif was born that way: on a workbench by the window, with the sound of the waves in the background and hands covered in earth.
Every piece is made entirely by hand, in small batches. The shapes, the glazes and the imperfections tell the sea the way I see it: calm, luminous, never the same twice.
— with love, Balif
Inspired by the Italian sea
The deep blue of open water, the turquoise of hidden coves, the pink of coral and the warm colour of sand at sunset. My palettes are born on walks along the coast, with a watercolour sketchbook always in my bag.
How a piece is made
From a block of clay to a finished piece takes about two weeks.
- 1
Shaping
I roll out the clay and shape it by hand, one form at a time: waves, shells, stars, pebbles. Then I let it dry slowly for several days.
- 2
Firing
The first firing, at around 950°C, turns the clay into bisque: the ceramic becomes solid and ready to take the glaze.
- 3
Glazing
I brush on the glazes, often in several layers. A second high-temperature firing melts the colours and creates shades that are never quite the same.
- 4
Assembling
Finally I assemble every piece by hand with hypoallergenic stainless steel or gold-plated findings, checking each one individually.