Modder Following Her Heart, No One Else’s
by Françoise Jeffrey · Amsterdam, Netherlands

Françoise Jeffrey is a ceramic designer who began her journey into ceramics a year after her mother’s passing — seeking a therapeutic outlet for her grief and a way to slow down.Her work is profoundly intuitive, characterized by organic, hand-built forms that embody the Japanese philosophy of wabi-sabi, celebrating both imperfection and the transience of life. Françoise leaves her ceramics unglazed to highlight the natural texture and purity of the clay, consciously avoiding toxic glazes. This choice also offers a sustainable advantage, as each piece only requires a single firing. The resulting earthy tones contribute to the timeless quality of her work.Each creation is an ode to her mother and the courage she showed throughout her life — always bravely staying true to herself and trusting her intuition until the very end. That’s why the names of Françoise’s pieces begin with Modder, evoking the sound of “mother” and meaning “mud” in Dutch — the essence of clay. These names, together with the organic forms, occasionally daring balanced compositions, and raw unglazed surfaces, make her pieces both vulnerable and powerful. They reflect a personal journey of self-care and echo a universal need to reconnect with our true selves. If we only listened to our own nature — the only wisdom that truly matters — we could care for ourselves more deeply, and in turn, for each other.With her sculptural work, Françoise hopes to inspire others to find strength and courage in their own lives. “I like to think of my sculptures as loving reminders to prioritise self-care by always trusting your intuition. Just as my mother did. Just as I strive to do, every single day.”