« 在语言无法表达之处，产生了绘画。»灵山, 1989

In 1946, by visiting the the annual exhibition of potters of Vallauris, through a chance encounter with Suzanne and Georges Ramie, owners of a ceramics factory, workshop Madura, Picasso, curious about everything, realized his first attempts at ceramics. He decided to dedicate himself to this activity which offered new perspectives for creation through the plasticity of clay and the magic of baking, which reveals the brilliant colors of enamel and gloss of varnishes. Ceramics has always accompanied the work of Picasso, a native of Malaga, large Moorish pottery center. His research, however, remained confidential until it he set up in Vallauris.His practice is unorthodox. Picasso - sculptor - clay molds in the nymphs and fauns, flows the earth as is made out of bronze, tirelessly decorated plates and dishes with his favorite themes (bullfights, women, owl, goat ...).... Ceramics was never considered by Picasso as a minor art.In the workshop, he used the talents of Jules Agard to turn and cook the pieces he created. These designs, often drawn in advance by Picasso, represented for Jules Agard technical challenges. Works dimensions, unbalanced assemblies are a priori incompatible with clay, its flexibility and it’s cooking. The achievements of Agard are retouched, still fresh, by Picasso that distorts a paunch or a collar, adding his sculptor expressive touch.For twenty years, Picasso produced about four thousand original works. According to his wish, certain ceramics were produced in several copies and Madura had exclusive distribution. In doing so, he wanted to have these ceramics published for everyday use, as he told André Malraux: «I made plates, we can eat in.»

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