Olivia Cognet: Master of Stoneware
Meet the Artist: Olivia Cognet, Where Sculpture Meets Ritual
Some artists work in clay. Olivia Cognet converses with it. A French-born artist whose work moves fluidly between sculpture, design, and functional form, Cognet approaches stoneware as a language—an idiom of curves, voids, and tactile relief that transforms light into texture and space into story. Her vases are sovereign objects. They stand as totems on a console, breathe softly on a mantle, and animate quiet corners with modern poise. Collectors know her for a distinctive blend of strength and sensitivity: pieces that read like carved drawings, with silhouettes that are both architectural and deeply human.
At Trove Gallery, we are honored to curate the Olivia Cognet collection—works that marry the gravitas of modernist sculpture with the intimacy of a vessel held in the hands. If you’re seeking Olivia Cognet pottery that resonates as art and functions as a centerpiece of daily life, you’ll find it here. Explore the full maker collection anytime via our dedicated page: Olivia Cognet collection.
Every piece is handbuilt in stoneware, embracing the subtle asymmetries and surface nuances that make handcrafted objects irreplaceable. In a world drawn to the fast and the identical, Cognet’s work insists on the slower, more personal path—the one carved by touch.
Stoneware, Light, and Gesture: Inside Cognet’s Process
To understand Olivia Cognet, begin with stoneware. This dense, iron-rich clay body is prized for its durability and its expressive depth once fired at high temperatures. In her hands, stoneware becomes a medium of relief and shadow: ridges that riffle like sea grass, portals that frame a room’s changing light, and edges that shift from soft to assertive depending on where you stand. The result is a tangible dialogue between material and gesture.
Cognet often builds by hand rather than spinning on a wheel—coiling, carving, and articulating surfaces as though sketching in three dimensions. Where a painter floats pigment across canvas, she incises texture into clay, laying down rhythmic patterns that feel both ancient and fresh. The process is physical and exacting: clay is coaxed upward, walls are thinned, openings are cut, and the piece is refined across stages that reward patience. By the time each vase is fired, it has already lived many lives in the studio—wet, leather-hard, bone-dry—each stage adding a layer of intent.
Glaze is another voice in her vocabulary. In some works, a satin sheen gathers in grooves, encouraging the eye to travel. In others, she leaves the stoneware unglazed, a confident celebration of raw clay. Unglazed surfaces invite light to graze across their relief, emphasizing form over finish. Glazed surfaces add subtle luster, heightening contrast and depth. This tension—between matte and shine, raw and refined—is one of the reasons collectors seek to buy Olivia Cognet across multiple series.
The Kinetic Series: Motion, Captured
True to its name, the Kinetic series captures movement in stillness. Negative space plays as vital a role as mass, and the eye completes the gesture the object begins. Each piece reads like a fragment of an elegant continuum—akin to choreography paused at the perfect arc.
The Short Kinetic Vase ($3,401) is the series at its most intimate. A sculptural, compact statement, it creates dialogue with light at close range. Set it on a bedside table, low bookshelf, or entryway console and watch its carved apertures frame background color and shadow throughout the day. It’s a superb entry point into the Olivia Cognet artist oeuvre—substantial, but easy to place, it anchors a vignette without overwhelming it.
For vertical emphasis, the Tall Kinetic Vase ($3,636) extends the line skyward. Its elongated cut-outs read like architectural windows, lending presence to rooms with high ceilings or lofty shelving. When positioned near a window, the vase catches raking light in the late afternoon, projecting patterned shadows that feel like a moving mural. This is Olivia Cognet pottery that interacts with its environment—quietly kinetic in the truest sense.
Bridging these two is the Elongated Kinetic Vase ($3,401), a refined study in proportion and balance. It shines on a dining buffet or console where its long, lyrical silhouette can breathe. For collectors developing a conversation across pieces, the Elongated Kinetic pairs beautifully with the Short and Tall variations. Together, they form a sculptural triptych—an artful chorus of echoes and counterpoints that reads as installation.
Though resolutely sculptural, Kinetic vases welcome thoughtful floral work. Think single-stem ikebana: one arching branch, a few soft grasses, or a solitary protea bloom. The forms do not need much; in fact, they thrive with less, allowing the vessel’s carved gestures to remain the starring element.
Le Sud: Sunlit Geometry with Mediterranean Ease
Le Sud is Olivia Cognet’s love letter to warmth—of climate, of memory, of materials that hold the sun in their surface. Where Kinetic is motion, Le Sud is resonance. The series relies on curved contours, confident volumes, and the sort of quiet glamour that feels equally at home in a beachside villa or a minimalist city penthouse.
The Le Sud Vase ($2,023) is a sculptural companion for spaces that crave serenity. Its contours are easy to live with—inviting to the touch and generous in silhouette. Positioned on a credenza or a pedestal, it reads like a soft monolith, a grounded presence that calms the room. When you buy Olivia Cognet in this mood, you’re selecting an object that brings a sense of collected cool—elevated but approachable.
Expanding the theme, the Le Sud Serie Vase ($2,023) introduces subtle variations in line and aperture placement. The series format makes it irresistible for collectors who enjoy pairing and repeating. Two or three Le Sud Serie pieces together create a measured, modern rhythm—the kind of arrangement designers reach for when building cohesion across an open-plan space.
For purists drawn to the honesty of raw clay, the Unglazed Le Sud Serie Vase ($2,023) distills the aesthetic to the essentials. The unglazed surface amplifies texture and tone, making the piece especially responsive to natural light. You’ll notice the vase change across the day—matte in the morning, more dimensional at golden hour. This is the Olivia Cognet collection at its most elemental: form as feeling.
Styling Le Sud is an exercise in restraint. A few branches of olive or eucalyptus echo the Mediterranean spirit. Or, leave the vase empty and let negative space do the work—the silhouettes are so considered that they reward contemplation without any adornment.
Retro-Future: Brutalism, Softened
Retro-Future is where Cognet’s sculptural instincts meet a lightly futuristic pulse. Think Brutalist geometry refined by hand, softened by curve, and grounded by craft. It’s a look that reads both vintage and forward-looking—perfect for collectors who want their pieces to defy era and trend.
The Retro-Future Vase ($2,276) wears this duality beautifully. Its form feels engineered yet intimate, like an artifact from a time that never was. Place it on a stone plinth to heighten its architectural edges, or on a timber sideboard to let the clay’s warmth speak. In a pared-back interior, it becomes the focal point; in a layered room, it acts as a harmonizing anchor, bridging textural fabrics, veined marble, and matte metals.
Collectors often ask how Retro-Future plays with the other series. One elegant approach: pair a Retro-Future Vase with a Le Sud piece to juxtapose edge and curve, then bring in a Kinetic form to introduce movement. The trio reads like an exhibition on balance—proof that Olivia Cognet artist works converse across her own vocabulary.
How to Live with Sculptural Stoneware
Living with Olivia Cognet pottery is about building moments—small installations of light and shadow that evolve as the day passes. Start by choosing a zone for quiet presence: a mantle, the end of a long shelf, a pedestal by a window. Give the object a little breathing room. Sculpture needs negative space to settle, and Cognet’s vases are especially alive at the edges, where curves catch light.
For a single-statement placement, consider the Tall Kinetic Vase ($3,636) on a solitary plinth. For a softly layered composition, cluster the Le Sud Vase ($2,023) with books, a low tray, and a candle—mixing vertical and horizontal lines. If you prefer symmetry, anchor the ends of a console with a Retro-Future Vase ($2,276) on one side and the Short Kinetic Vase ($3,401) on the other; their conversation is quiet but assured.
Floral choices matter. These vases reward restraint and sculptural stems—fan palms, smoke bush, amaranth, foraged branches. Let the vessel lead. If the silhouette is articulate, like the Elongated Kinetic Vase ($3,401), choose florals that echo rather than compete. If the vessel is more monolithic, like the Le Sud Serie Vase ($2,023), a single expressive bloom can become a poignant counterpoint.
Scale is your ally. In rooms with tall ceilings and generous windows, a larger profile like the Tall Kinetic commands the volume. In intimate spaces, the Short Kinetic or Le Sud reads as a perfectly weighted accent—elevating the everyday rituals of setting a table, welcoming guests, or settling into a favorite chair with a book.
Caring for Your Investment: A Collector’s Guide
Olivia Cognet’s stoneware is made to endure, but like all handcrafted objects, it thrives with mindful care. Here are simple practices to preserve beauty for decades:
Dust regularly with a soft, dry microfiber cloth. For more textured relief, use a gentle brush to lift dust from grooves. When needed, a slightly damp cloth is fine—just dry the piece completely afterward.
Use water thoughtfully. These are artful vessels first, functional vases second. If displaying fresh stems, avoid prolonged standing water and always empty and dry the interior after use. To protect surfaces, consider a discreet glass insert when arranging flowers for extended periods.
Mind placement. Avoid extreme temperature swings and direct heat sources. An unglazed piece like the Unglazed Le Sud Serie Vase ($2,023) particularly appreciates stable conditions. Felt pads beneath the base help protect shelves and stone tops.
Embrace variation. Handbuilt stoneware bears the signature of its making—subtle shifts in texture, slight asymmetries, and tonal nuances. These are not imperfections; they are the very qualities collectors prize when they choose to buy Olivia Cognet for a home that honors the handmade.
Lastly, trust your eye. While provenance and process matter, collecting art for the home is ultimately about intuition. Choose the piece that alters the energy of a room in a way you can feel. That’s the quiet magic of the Olivia Cognet collection—objects that become part of your daily rituals while retaining the presence of sculpture.
Ready to explore? Discover every available piece and new arrivals in our dedicated maker page: Shop the Olivia Cognet collection at Trove Gallery. For personal curation or trade inquiries, our team would be delighted to help you build a cohesive selection.
