Jean Girel was born in Savoy in 1947 and as a 14 year-old boy learnt the potter's craft from a traditional potter. He studied Fine Arts in Mâcon and then went on to do a degree in visual arts in Paris. These studies led him to become, initially, an artist and a teacher of visual arts. It was on discovering Song ceramics that he found his vocation and in 1975 he decided to work exclusively in ceramics. His creative talents, which bring together western know-how and the Far East's age-long tradition of ceramics, give birth to recipes for clay mixtures and glazes, firing procedures and the invention of tools and instruments as and when his needs dictate. The kiln he now uses in his workshop near Cluny is the seventeenth that he has designed and built for his personal use. Jean Girel is a consultant in techniques and innovations for various manufacturers in France and abroad, and has been writing about ceramics since 1970. His work, which is collected by both amateurs and specialists, is to be found in many ceramic and modern art museums both in France and abroad. His outstanding knowledge and his desire to pass on his passion led him to being awarded the title of Master Craftsman in June 2000.

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