“To stand out, you have to find a niche. I found mine through exploration, trial and error, and by pushing the limits of what I could make my raw material do.”

Kino Guérin is beguiled by wood, a raw material that he has made his own through exploration and trial and error. For Kino, a creative craftsperson who wants to succeed needs to find his or her own style and push their raw material beyond its limits. In Kino’s case, that meant developing his own technique that enabled him to bend wood into knots, a technique that produces works that are both spectacular and elegant. His creative process is constantly evolving; his prototypes might sit in a corner of his workshop for months before he applies the finishing touches that produce a new work. This constant quest for artistic style and innovation, combined with Kino’s desire to use the raw material to its full potential, make his creations unique works that have made a name for themselves within his very own niche.

“I like instantly falling in love with an object and saying to myself, “Okay, how can I make it fit within my décor, how can I transform it?”

Finding a use for worn-out old objects is the leitmotiv that underpins the creative process for Anne-Painchaud-Ouellet, a designer with Ressac. While following this path she fell in love with punctured bicycle inner tubes. Although discarded for good, they have become a raw material that to Anne’s eyes has many advantages. Firstly, the way it feels, because it is a soft, smooth material that can be easily repurposed; secondly, in the way Anne handles it, because it allows her to express her creativity and create unique products. And the challenges of transforming this raw material never leave this self-taught seamstress indifferent. As she moves from pattern to finished article, she constantly modifies her working plan and her only goal is to dazzle consumers with the originality of the products that leave her workshop.

“Because each of us has access to another medium, it really opens more doors for us on the creative front.”

a+j stands for Amélie and Julien. One is a ceramic artist, the other is a glassblower, and they are partners in both life and work. Sharing their skills and creativity, these craftspeople both help each other to push their ideas further within creative sessions that pepper their daily lives. Although the function of the objects that they design determines which raw material they use, it’s the material itself that guides the entire creative process. By choosing to produce kitchen accessories, they have chosen to respond to a passion that moves Amélie like thousands of other Quebecers – a passion that closely reflects the passion that the both creators feel for their respective domains. Amélie and Julien are two people, two techniques, two raw materials, united to create one-of-a-kind items.