When people buy my tiles, they are buying the work of an artist, the work of a craftsman, a story, a work of art. It's a bit like re-enchanting your everyday life when you know where things come from, when you know who made them.
For almost 3 years now, César Bazaar has made cement tiles his new daily hobby. Formerly an engineer in video games, this young Ile-de-France resident decided to drop everything and set up his workshop in Pantin to become a full-time craftsman. His goal? To reintroduce a lost craftsmanship in France, to offer access to artists, and to introduce it to the public.
Unique handmade tiles
But first, what is a cement tile? Look no further than its name. Inside, there are only 4 ingredients, "that haven't changed for 150 years".
César affirms: cement, sand, pigments, and water. As simple as that.But what makes a quality cement tile is mainly the know-how and creativity of the person who makes it: "The way I make the tiles here is the same way the tiles of the 1930s apartment buildings were made. It's a technique that has never been lost and is passed down from generation to generation," explains César Bazaar.
In his small laboratory, Cesar handcrafts each tile by pouring and pressing them one by one. This method allows him to create unique tiles in every aspect. As for the design, he either creates it himself or relies on others' creativity: "The idea is to offer artists and the public the opportunity to rediscover and reinvent cement tiles together, by opening this medium to collective creativity." The result? The majority of the tiles have been designed by artists from around the world exclusively for Cesar Bazaar. Classy, isn't it? A knowledge that is passed on: In order to achieve such beautiful creations, he sought out other artisans with incomparable know-how.Today, almost all the tiles we see are going to be manufactured in Vietnam or Morocco. When we brought it back into fashion, we went to find this know-how down there. I learned from Moroccan factories. " A unique know-how in France since there would be only three who know how to make cement tiles.Voir cette publication sur Instagram
According to him, César was somewhat destined to practice this art: " Making cement tiles is not at all an artist thing, it's an engineer or hustler thing, and that's why I really enjoyed it. My creativity is very technical.".
To push the envelope even further, the artisan also offers workshops to introduce the manufacturing method of cement tiles. For 3.5 hours, the participants have access to a whole catalogue of patterns to create their chosen tiles, accompanied by César.
César Bazaar
190, avenue du Général-Leclerc – Pantin
Tél. : 06 89 70 86 41
Instagram : @cesar.bazaar
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