Tommy Zen

Born in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Tommy Giovanny Zen comes from a Venetian three-generation family of fine cabinetmakers. This internationally renowned ceramist and painter was first initiated to his ancestors’ trade in his father’s workshop who taught him the traditional techniques of metalized film application and of various varnishes that give furniture a uniquely rich finish. But at the age of 14, he discovered his passion for pottery. He started then to make ceramic pieces and sold them to help finance his studies. After obtaining a degree in Visual Arts at the end of 1970’s, he undertook foreign travel which gave him the opportunity to meet artisans who instilled in him a growing passion for earth. Then came a period of experimentation with oversized earthenware pieces using the coil method. Pierre Legault, master potter from Port-au-Persil in the Charlevoix region, taught him the chemistry of glazes, enamels and complicated earth assemblages. Since 1993, he has owned a ceramic workshop in Montreal where he continues to use his ancestors’ metalized film application technique to create unique pieces whose classic shapes and rich colour is timeless.