Jacques Monneraud

Jacques Monneraud is a contemporary French studio potter and designer based in the southwest of France (working out of a studio in the Basque region/Bayonne). He has achieved international recognition for his innovative trompe-l'œil (eye-deceiving) stoneware that seamlessly mimics disposable cardboard and packing tape.
Monneraud subverts the traditional expectations of stoneware by transforming it into an exquisite exercise in trompe-l'œil. His Jacques signature Carton collection features functional vessels—teapots, jugs, and vases—that look exactly like ordinary, discarded corrugated cardboard boxes hastily taped together.
The power of Monneraud's work lies in this material contradiction. Cardboard is ephemeral, cheap, and industrial; stoneware is ancient, enduring, and artisanal. To achieve this hyper-realistic texture, Monneraud uses a meticulous blend of three distinct stonewares, hand-carving the delicate, undulating inner grooves of "corrugated" paper edges. He then applies a custom, glossy experimental glaze that perfectly mimics strips of plastic packing tape, sealing the illusion.
By elevated an discarded everyday object into a permanent, collectible ceramic, Monneraud forces the viewer to pause. What initially appears to be a fragile, disposable container is actually a heavy, enduring piece of fired earth—challenging our perceptions of value, utility, and material reality.