Who is Faulty Stone ?
Faulty Stone is run by Simon Aubin, an almost 34-year-old French Canadian ceramicist based in Québec City, Canada. With a love for simple and clean designs, Simon likes to create pieces that are functional and meant for everyday use, whether it is for your morning routine or for gathering friends and family around the table.
With an atypical path into ceramics, Simon began his journey with clay in July 2018 at a little communal studio called The Clay Room Leicester. Having moved to the United Kingdom and looking for things to do, he signed up for an evening pottery class and ended up falling in love with it and the mindfulness that came with it. Quickly, it became an obsession, and the evening classes weren’t enough to scratch the itch. He eventually became a member of the studio, which meant that he could go as often as he wanted to hone and practice his throwing skills.
During lockdown, he borrowed one of the studio's wheels and brought it home with him so that he could continue making, which led him to create Faulty Stone and start selling online. Having the time to focus on his page and get his name out there was eventually successful enough for him to quit his day job as a barista, open his own studio, and work as a full-time ceramicist.
Having his own workshop and equipment meant that he could venture further into the world of ceramics and test new products and techniques. He eventually enrolled in an online chemistry class about glaze making, which opened up a new world of possibilities. With his background in glaze chemistry, he was headhunted to become a Technical Instructor (think of it as a combination of teacher and technician) at De Montfort University.
Why Faulty Stone ?
You might wonder why the name Faulty Stone. When Simon started his ceramic journey, he had a clear idea of the kind of pieces he wanted to make, but the reality of his skills at the time didn’t always match his vision. This was difficult to accept for someone with a tendency toward perfectionism.
Learning to embrace clay in all its beauty and imperfections made him realize that those small differences between his pieces are what make them unique. He came to appreciate what he once considered faults and flaws, choosing instead to celebrate them—hence the name Faulty Stone.
Where is Faulty Stone ?
Having started his adventure in Leicester, United Kingdom, Simon is now back in his beautiful and lush home country of Canada. His studio is now located in the Saint-Sauveur neighbourhood of Québec City, where he shares a creative space with two other wonderful ceramicists.
