Myriam GREFF

Myriam Greff was born in 1985. She currently lives and works in Paris.

With a Master's degree in Heritage Restoration from the École de Condé in Paris, Myriam began her career by restoring works of art for institutions and antique dealers. Her passion for ceramics led her to discover the « kintsugi », a traditional Japanese technique. This method, whose philosophy is to « repair cracks by making them more beautiful », uses two main materials: natural lacquer and pure gold.

Today, Myriam focuses her work on the fusion of two main techniques: kintsugi and églomisé glass. The latter, dating from ancient Greece, consists of creating gilding under glass. The gold leaf is first applied with a water and gelatin mixtion, then fixed to the back with an oil paint to adhere to the glass support.

The inspiration of Japanese kintsugi has become the artist's signature. She creates mirrors with intentional breaks, enhanced with gold. Myriam perceives a profoundly introspective dimension : the spectator, facing his broken reflection, is confronted with an abyme of his own fragility. This vulnerability, frozen by gold, is transformed into a work imbued with aesthetics and poetry.

Kintsugi also has the advantage of being a harmless restoration technique, unlike polyurethane or acrylic paints. Objects restored in this way can be reused. Although her approach differs from traditional Japanese design, Myriam associates the idea of resilience with this process. This psychological dimension explains why her works often illustrate psychology books.

Finally, Myriam explores the play of reflections and the creation of contemplative objects, notably mirrors adorned with marbling. Ancient craftsmanship and traditional techniques are at the heart of her work. She uses bitumen of Judea, a traditional medium for aging gold, creating marbling through the natural repulsion between grease and water.