Creatively crafting the future

They’re ceramicists, glassmakers, cabinetmakers, instrument makers, lacquerers... and they’re scattered right across France. Some have chosen to leave the buzz of urban life behind to set up spacious workshops in inspiring surroundings. Some have their sights set on continuing the long legacy of craftsmanship that has forged their region’s reputation, such as lace-making in the Hauts-de-France. Others are keen to save an ancient technique from extinction, or are driven by a passion for giving a skill their own modern spin. The regional winners hand-picked by the Ateliers d’Art de France celebrate the true diversity of France’s artisan crafts. Initially created in 2012, the annual contest now attracts hundreds of entries in two separate categories, “Creation” and “Heritage”. A jury selects a winner for each region and category based on the outstanding nature of the entrant’s work and their excellence of craftsmanship.

The 2020 vintage includes a lacquered screen, a straw marquetry lamp, a viola da gamba inspired by the fire at Notre Dame Cathedral, and a hammered copper Fragrance vase whose uneven base leaves admirers feeling ever so slightly nervous. “Learning that the Tarn’s heritage craft was in danger of being lost forever was what first inspired me to start working with copper,” explains the piece’s creator, Jonathan Soulié. The winner for the Occitanie region (“Creation” category) shapes items out of metal sheets using a traditional hammering technique. And, much like his peers, he favours crafting pieces by hand with the help of his own bespoke tools, to the point that his workshop resembles a kind of experimental lab... Claire Barbier walked away with Brittany’s title thanks to a design named “Poilue” (meaning “Hairy”), a sculptural hybrid piece inspired by her region’s chaotic granite landscape. This ceramicist and visual artist sculpts designs from organic substances, such as salmon skin, and then proceeds to coat them in deer hair with disconcerting results. “I feel a bit like the sorcerer’s apprentice”. The designers/restorers in the “Heritage” category, meanwhile, pride themselves on keeping age-old techniques alive. A prime example would be Sabine Halm, who specialises in “tatting”, a technique that straddles the boundary between bobbin and needlepoint lace. With the help of the wooden tatting shuttles manufactured in her workshop, she created a braid consisting of 200,000 silk thread knots, representing 800 hours’ work!

“This braid is reminiscent of the XIXth century “barbs” that women wore in their hair. As the only person in the country currently teaching this technique, I’m intent on giving it a more modern edge”. Each regional winner is invited to present their work at a major trade fair, such as Maison&Objet Paris or the International Cultural Heritage Fair. And the contest doesn’t solely earn winners the recognition of their peers - they can also look to enjoy increased visibility and a flurry of media mentions.

By Valérie Appert