07/10/2026
Tiles Inspired by 16th-Century France and Acadian Roots
This project has been a fascinating personal journey. It brings together my ceramic studies at NSCAD, the Culture Hub fireplace project with Fenn Martin Ceramic Sculpture , and an incredible discovery in my ancestry research. These tiles connect a 16th-century French chapel directly to the very soil my ancestors farmed here in Nova Scotia.
The Story Behind the Clay:
The NSCAD Spark: During an Image Making class with Rory MacDonald, we explored surface development, decoration, and narrative using both contemporary and historical sources.
The Ancestral Link: While researching my French Acadian roots, I uncovered a 1987 master's thesis by Marc Charles Lavoie documenting Acadian material life in Belleisle, NS (1690-1755).
Pierre Martin’s Land: Amazingly, the excavated pre-expulsion homestead sat directly on the original land grant of my forefather, Pierre Martin! The pottery shards illustrated in that paper were likely held and used by my own family.
Porcelain Paste: This historical connection led me back to the original pottery houses in France and their early use of porcelain paste. For my tile design, I selected and reimagined the 1552 inlaid motifs from the Chapelle du Crucifix inside the Église Saint-Nicolas de Troyes.
The Architecture of a "Silent Sermon"
During the Renaissance, church pavements were planned as highly complex geometric compositions known as "tile tapestries." Carrying profound Counter-Reformation theological significance, these visual motifs served as a silent sermon for churchgoers walking across the floor.
As a corner border tile, this piece relies on a deliberate balance of architectural and botanical geometry:
The Quarter-Circle Arch: This curved band forms a massive architectural ring when four tiles meet. In Renaissance churches, this circular geometry symbolized eternity, perfection, and the celestial sphere separating common spaces from the highly sacred zones near the altar.
Stylized Fleur-de-lis: In French Renaissance art, the triple-petal structure represents the Holy Trinity (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit), while invoking the lily's themes of purity, divine light, and the Resurrection.
The Alternating Internal Ladder: In church floor iconography, these repeating linear segments symbolize the structural ascent of the soul, a visual metaphor for climbing step-by-step toward heaven.
The Chemistry & Studio Process:
For the inlay, I experimented with a porcelain paste material formulated with the help of my professor, alongside technical scenarios tested during the fireplace project.
Using a triaxial blend, Fenn formulated several material tests to ensure our recipe would melt, adhere, and form a stable glass matrix during firing.
The Inlay Base: I settled on a raw combination of EPK clay, lithium, and Nepheline Syenite, mixed into a smooth paste, pressed into the carved pattern, and scraped clean of excess material.
The Kiln Firing:
Following the first kiln firing, I introduced a sequence of surface washes to artificially age the surface:
Soda Ash Wash: Brings out the deep richness of the natural clay body.
Lithium: Introduces subtle, unpredictable atmospheric effects.
Copper Wash: Striking dark metallic accents and flashing greens.
Borax Sprinkles: Melts unevenly over the surface to create authentic-looking "age spots.
The interplay of glassy inlays, weathered surfaces, and deep historical narratives are of great interest and I’m excited to explore them further.
This past week I delivered the tiles to The River Gallery on Water Street.
