Artistic crafts are gestures passed down from generation to generation, enriched over the years and centuries of innovation. But above all they are numerous, sublimated materials, passing from the raw state to that of a precious object. The European Crafts Days (Jema), which take place from April 2 to 7, allow us to open the doors to workshops throughout France. Like those of these three magicians who transform feathers, metal, thread into exceptional pieces or beautiful everyday accessories.
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Inanimate objects, so do you have a blade?
“I am trying to remove the forge from its virilistic image, a spectacle from another age,” declares Cécile Bouisset on her site. After a course in architecture and management of cultural projects, she retrained with a blacksmith and cutler before embarking on a CAP in industrial blacksmithing. Armed with this background, she created the Les Frappantes workshop in Vic-Fezensac, in the Gers, where she manufactured and renovated knives and tools for working with wood and earth. Committed to sharing, she will organize an introductory session for children during this edition of the Jema.
Cécile Bouisset in her Les Frappantes forge, in Vic-Fezensac, in the Gers. Press Department
April 6 from 1:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., April 7 from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m., upon registration. lesfrappantes.com. 18, rue de Cheminot, 32190 Vic-Fezensac.
Where to meet “sons” from good families?
Charlotte Font and Charlotte Romani did their apprenticeship together at the Gobelins and Savonnerie national factory. Lissières, graduates of Mobilier national, they founded their workshop, Font & Romani, in Paris, in 2022, specializing in the Savonnerie weaving technique. Its specificity? Added to the weaving is the creation of knots whose ends are sheared to give the velvet. The two Charlottes transform wool and linen on their high-smooth loom. These durable materials become carpets, fill furniture or adorn screens with relief patterns, bringing a sensual and arty dimension. To be discovered in an exhibition which puts thread in the spotlight.
Charlotte Font and Charlotte Romani, specialized in the Savonnerie weaving technique, in Paris. FONT&ROMANI
April 6 from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., April 7 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., exhibition “Au fil de nos gestes”, with Eva Bellanger and Up Up Up Studio, 9, allée Léon-Bronchart, 75018 Paris. FREE ENTRANCE.
How to make a living from your pen?
Valérie Tanfin is a rare bird. In her workshop in Léguevin, in Haute-Garonne, she tames the feathers of breeding birds or those that have fallen during moulting. Using this fragile and rare material, she designs dreamlike works inspired by nature. So we fly to the Plumarium, a place dedicated to artistic crafts that Valérie manages with her mother, to learn the techniques of featherwork and artistic embroidery with her, in order to create a work collective.
In Léguevin, in Haute-Garonne, Valérie Tanfin works with the pen in all its forms. Press Department
April 6 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., April 7 from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Le Plumarium, 58 avenue de Gascogne, 31490 Léguevin. valerietanfin.com.
Focus on the European Crafts Days
Coordinated by the Institute for French Know-how, the Jema highlights 281 artistic professions divided into 16 areas, at the crossroads of culture, economy, heritage and creation through events free and accessible to as many people as possible. Over 6 days dedicated to arts and crafts, it is possible to attend activities, guided tours, conferences, exhibitions, open days of workshops and training establishments. This year, the Jema is placed under the sign of transmission, with more than 8,000 events and nearly 440 exceptional meetings in more than 130 locations. An event with a European dimension, this 18th edition will highlight Portugal with mask-making, weaving and jewelry workshops in Lisbon, the Algarve and the Alentejo.
Jema, from April 2 to 7. Program on
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