Jacques Pouchain

Jacques Pouchain (1927-2015) was a French painter, sculptor, and ceramicist born in Paris. He studied architecture before joining the Académie de la Grande-Chaumière. In 1951, he left Paris to become an abstract painter in the Drôme. From 1951 to 1957, Pouchain worked at the Coursange earthenware factory in Poët-Laval, where he developed his ceramic skills.

In the late 1950s, he established his own ceramic workshop in Dieulefit, producing utilitarian pottery and ceramic art. His work evolved from figurative motifs to abstraction in the 60s, and in the 70s, he explored themes like femininity and fertility. Pouchain exhibited widely in France and internationally, including at the Cantini Museum in Marseille and the first Biennale in Vallauris.

Pouchain founded the Maison de la Terre in Dieulefit in the early 90s, which included a training space called Maison de la Céramique. He passed away in 2015, leaving a legacy continued by his son Dominique. A posthumous retrospective was held in 2018 in Poët-Laval.