Could you explain why you were drawn to straw marquetry?
Above all, I think it is the pleasure of transforming the material. Gestures, techniques, smells – these are things that drive me and excite me. Since I finished high school, I have tried to develop my personal touch in marquetry. I take great pleasure in surpassing all its limits.
When and how did you really start?
In my last year of training, we created a collective, l'Atelier Folie Douce, with some friends. We were a group of artists, designers and craftsmen, who shared an atelier in Toulouse and developed our crafts. At that time, I also worked for various carpentry companies, and for Airbus Corporate Jet Centre.
©Laurent Barranco
In what way is your craft linked to where you work?
The materials comes from the fields around me in Saône et Loire. It is cultivated, mowed, selected and prepared before arriving at my workshop. I have always created a network around Toulouse with different artists, craftsmen, companies and individuals in a personal and professional approach.
During those years, did you learn from a master?
I discovered Georges Vriz, a craftsman who created his own technique in marquetry. I was sensitive to his approach and all the emotion he expresses through his art, he became a mentor to me. Restricted by the specific techniques of marquetry, he pushed back the limits of this craft.