My first encounter with pique assiette mosaics (from the French word meaning "one who eats from others' plates") was in France. Pique assiette is a style of mosaic that incorporates pieces of broken ceramics—plates, dishes, cups, tiles—and other found objects into the design.

 

Working in this technique allows me to repurpose objects collected from family, friends and the larger community — items that were considered useless. I am fascinated with idea of elevating objects that would otherwise end up in a landfill, using these collected and donated objects in an artful way that also displays the community's memories. In 2000, I began adding my own handmade ceramic pieces to the pique assiettes, creating an entirely new dimension to the story and aesthetics of each piece.