After Madoka Rindal had her first child, she would wander the hillsides of the Parc des Buttes-Chaumont in Paris’ 19th Arrondissement trying to lull her son to sleep. The sprawling public park—home to an artificial lake, grotto and countless winding paths—became so intimately familiar to Madoka that even now, years later, it feels like home. Afterward, she would head to Le Marigny, a simple café facing the entrance of the park. It’s the type of place, she says, where old people have their habits and will talk about the weather, or where locals gossip with the waiter. After ordering a croque madame campagne (a grilled ham and cheese sandwich adorned with an egg) and tea with milk, the ceramist would grab a window seat and sink gently into her surroundings.

“I try to be as inv...