Marie de La Roussière

Marie de La Roussière graduated in architectural decoration specialising in lacquer from ENSAAMA in Paris, the only European training school in which the three main lacquer techniques are taught: vegetable lacquer, European oil varnish and water-soluble lacquer. When Marie first encountered lacquer, it was love at first sight. She found that combining different materials and techniques with lacquer could spark an artist's imagination. In 2010, Marie opened her lacquer workshop specialising in custom-made creations, from decorative panels to musical instruments. By combining tradition with a contemporary vision, her lacquerwork offers an infinite number of possibilities.

The oil varnish in which Marie de La Roussière specialises is firmly rooted in a French tradition of lacquerwork developed by artisans such as the Martin brothers in the 18th century. Combining varnish, powdered pigments and turpentine, this technique also borrows from the ancestral Asian lacquer traditions. The lacquer profession requires rigour, patience and a firm grounding in gestures, repeated to the point of becoming an innate movement. Each piece is entirely made by hand, from the designs to the preparation and application of the primers.

The studio focuses on creating custom lacquer projects that range from decorative panels to musical instruments. Marie has worked on creations with her former teacher and master lacquerworker, Isabelle Emmerique, on large-scale projects such as a bar and panelling for the interior design of a house in Austria. This path, her personal experiences, as well as skills gained when working with leaders and innovators in lacquerwork, have provided Marie with the possibility of developing her own vision and creative language, imbuing her lacquerwork with a contemporary vision and design.

Pattern of Crafts Exhibition