We owe this meeting to the brand new company Borsomin, created by ceramists Yann Colleu and Lisa Liu. They offer the first collection of Chinese porcelain tableware inspired by Reunion Island., whose shapes and colors showcase the nature of Reunion Island.
Borsomin high quality and luxury porcelain (" by the roadside ") invite the pleasure of the eye, of touch and mind. Their decorations, in particular the very successful evocation of cold and incandescent lava, unite the artistic talents of Yann Colleu and the technical-scientific talents of Lisa Liu. Artiste, doctoral researcher in design, Yann Colleu is the author of a thesis on linglong porcelain in Reunionese homes (tea bowl green is ri). These Chinese porcelains were introduced to the island in the 1970s. Widespread in all families, today they are part of the popular cultural heritage of Reunion. Mechanical engineer specializing in renewable energies, Lisa Liu became interested in the physico-chemical process of ceramics, drawing on her knowledge of materials engineering.. “My attraction to Chinese porcelain dates back to my third year of design studies.. This subject is one of the most difficult to master. His work involves many professions and requires a lot of experience.. Its ability to adapt to all shapes is astonishing.. It is almost unalterable. In my opinion, it’s as if we were respecting nature, and that in exchange it gives us back a perfect material”, explain Yann Colleu. The exceptional character of Chinese porcelain is also due to the creativity of its enamel decorations.. From the most ancient times to the present day, the tradition has been perpetuated by constantly renewing itself. Yann Colleu and Lisa Liu enrich it today with a new source of inspiration with La Réunion. Especially with this striking contrast between a gray exterior enamel with a texture reminiscent of basalt and a smooth and shiny interior enamel with the intense red of molten lava. This ensemble celebrating Reunion’s nature, one of the three ranges making up the Borsomin collection, constitutes a real sensory discovery.
Jingdezhen, world capital of porcelain
Borsomin was born from the meeting of Yann Colleu and Lisa Liu. They have since been divided between Reunion and Jingdezhen, thousand-year-old capital of Chinese porcelain, located in Jiangxi province,in eastern China, where they have their collections made. And it is the history of Chinese porcelain and its link with Reunion Island that Borsomin brings to light. Jingdezhen has preserved know-how and a collaborative state of mind between the different ceramic professions, which date back to ancient China. In the 18th century, faced with the enthusiasm of rich Europeans for Chinese porcelain, the Indian companies quickly had the idea of manufacturing to order, by Chinese artisans, Western-style table services. Bourbon Island (the name of Réunion under the Ancien Régime) was a stopover for this trade on the maritime route to India and China. Jingdezhen has become an international platform, production center, exhibition and sale of high quality porcelain. A market bubbling with creativity and innovation. “It’s an extremely stimulating environment for researching, create, invent ", say the creators of Borsomin, who launched their first collection at the end of 2023 in China and whose first client was a Japanese professional buyer.
The Ocean and Volcano collection
The Borsomin collection is revealed today in Reunion. Named Ocean and Volcano, it brings together three ranges. The White porcelain range, highlighting the elegance of the shapes of fine porcelain. The Orange range with pieces inspired by nature, including the remarkable series of volcanic influence. The Verdante range, luxury offer differentiated by gold and platinum finishes. In total, there are around forty shapes that cover tableware : aperitif services, ramekins, trays, modular trays, flat and curved plates, cuts, cups, glasses, teapots, coffee makers, etc. “Everything is done by hand, hence slight differences from one piece to another, which accentuate the naturalness of their appearance”, say Yann Colleu and Lisa Liu. Another collection explores the effects of an ocher enamel painted with a brush on white porcelain. The search for naturalness is here in the artistic gesture which produces a timeless decoration.
Search for resellers and custom creations
The Bordomin company is looking for resellers in Reunion. Its catalog, which has just been published, is at their disposal. An online sales site, currently being designed, will soon expand the customer base, to Europe in particular. Yann Colleu and Lisa Liu also address professional customers. They are ready to respond to direct orders from hotel or catering establishments, and open to custom creations. With relatively fast production times announced : the feasibility of the project being assured, three months of research and development to design the collection, a month and a half for manufacturing. Production of up to 5,000 pieces is possible.
COLLECTOR’S FLAG : ART CERAMICS WITH REUNION MOTIVES
“This collection is intended for competitions, international exhibitions and events. It represents the technical excellence of our team. It focuses on specific technical elements of traditional artisanal porcelain production. » In addition to his talent as a ceramicist, Yann Colleu undertook the decoration of a series of traditional Chinese pottery. In classical Chinese landscape motifs, he introduces characters evoking Reunion Island. Another way, more personal, for him to celebrate the human and cultural affinities between Reunion and China.
borsomin@hotmail.com
