Active together from 1956 to 1970 under the name Les Deux Potiers, Jacques Serre (1934–2016) and Michelle Bargoin (born 1936) occupy a distinctive place in the revival of postwar French ceramics.
Trained at the École des Beaux-Arts in Clermont-Ferrand, Jacques Serre was introduced at an early stage to the world of modern decorative arts. Michelle Bargoin studied at the École des Beaux-Arts in Bourges, where she was notably taught by Jean Lerat, before later joining Clermont-Ferrand. The couple began working together in the mid-1950s and adopted the signature “2 Potiers” in 1956.
Their work is defined by a continuous exploration of materials, glazes and surface treatments. Chamotte clay, scratched textures, layered colours, and contrasts between matte and glossy finishes form a highly recognizable visual language. Their practice soon moved beyond functional ceramics to include sculpture, decorative panels and furniture.
From the late 1950s and throughout the 1960s, Serre and Bargoin developed tables and furniture incorporating enameled lava tops combined with wood or metal structures. These pieces perfectly illustrate their ambition to bridge decorative arts, craftsmanship and interior architecture.
Their aesthetic, at once graphic and organic, is deeply rooted in postwar modernism while retaining a strong artisanal dimension. Some of their furniture designs were distributed by Roche Bobois, helping to establish their work within the landscape of French design during the 1960s.
Their collaboration ended in 1970, after nearly fifteen years of shared creation. Long relatively discreet, the work of Les Deux Potiers has since been rediscovered and is today particularly valued for the originality of its glazes, the quality of its execution and the enduring modernity of its forms.