Nathalie Simon may label herself a “recovering lawyer and public policy expert.” But she’s also a gifted artist whose sculptural, richly textured clay works are growing an enthusiastic following.
Simon’s creative explorations span painting, collage, mixed media work, drawing, photography and jewelry making. But since finding clay, she hasn’t looked back. “For me, especially being in a stressful industry, there’s a form of meditation there,” she said. “Having my hands in clay, grounding my mind, there is a peaceful aspect.”
In a light-filled collaborative space within the Bywater’s London Clayworks, Simon gives form to vessels that reflect the natural world. “To me, they look like walking through the narrows in southern Utah more than a bowl or vase one would see in more traditional work,” she said.
Some of the artist’s earliest connections to nature were forged on the beaches of Haiti. Both of Simon’s parents are Haitian, and the family lived in Haiti for part of her childhood, though she grew up primarily in New Orleans. In her work, Simon eschews hard edges and bold colors in favor of curves, neutral palettes, and “almost volcanic” textures that don’t always conform to conventional ideas of beauty. As she explained, “Maybe that’s because I want them to be as much nature like as possible… My favorite is this rough exterior and texture and glaze and a very shiny, white, smooth interior. I love that juxtaposition – like an abalone…”
Simon often fields questions from buyers asking what they should “do” with the pieces. Her response: “Whatever you want!” That might mean filling them with flowers, leaving them empty, or storing old letters (as she does). According to Simon, her process rarely follows a roadmap, and it’s the wandering that works: “I think I’ve learned a lot through trial and error… I love imperfections. Sometimes I try to replicate mistakes – and they never turn out as well as the mistakes.”
Simon’s works are available locally at the Hotel Saint Vincent’s boutique ByGeorge and at Nomita Joshi Interior Design Studio & Gallery and through her website, nathoustudio.com (a nod to the childhood nickname “Nathou” given by her grandparents).
nathoustudio.com; @nathouvintage
