raymond isadore

The French artist, Raymond Isidore, stumbled upon his craft in 1938 when he saw a piece of broken pottery on the path while he was walking. It inspired him to spend his life creating one of France’s most unique dwellings, covered in stunning mosaics, created from broken bits of ceramics and glass from trash, fields, and beyond. “What people disdain and reject.. can still serve” he once explained.

He began by creating small mosaics inside his home, then moved to the exterior, and everything in and around it. His neighbors called him ‘Picassiette’; a term joining ‘pique’ (steal) with ‘assiete’ (plate), a snarky label that evolved into an art form. His ‘dwelling’ eventually became known as ‘La Maison Picassiette’, visited and adored by his neighbors, then collectors and artists like Pablo Picasso.

I discovered his story, and this piece, during a visit to Paris. The urn was sitting in the window of a tiny gallery shop. I inquired about the piece, unaware of Raymond Isadore, and its significance. The shopkeeper was hesitant to sell it to me, afraid of the long journey to California, and not impressed with my ignorance to Raymond Isadore’s story. I left the shop, went back to the hotel, researched Isadore, and returned the next day to purchase. The urn is as inspiring as it’s creators story.