Ceramicist Eric Bonnin has lived in New York City for 25 years, but his singular bird pieces, made in black stoneware, recall his childhood in France — as well as some other influences. “They’re inspired by the work of Picasso and his collaboration with [famed pottery studio] Madoura in Vallauris, France, during the 1950s,” Bonnin says, from his studio in Queens. His work’s striking beauty belies its functional aspects — they’re not just lovely objets but worthy pitchers. “When I was a kid, my grandfather was always telling us to not run the faucet for too long — he’d remind us that not too long ago, his family had to go to get the water at their well outside,” says Bonnin, whose future ambitions include an ongoing flirtation with a sculpture practice. “For me, a pitcher is a link to carrying and storing water.”